Alaska police shoot and kill 'extremely agitated' black bear after it charged multiple people

Alaska police shot and killed a black bear Sunday night after it was roaming Anchorage neighborhoods and charging at people, police said.

Just before 10 p.m. Sunday, the Anchorage Police Department issued a statement warning locals of an agitated black bear in the area.

"Good evening, everyone! We are having Alaska problems," police wrote. "It’s a quarter to 10 pm on this finally sunny Sunday evening (7/30/23) and we are currently occupied with an extremely agitated black bear in the neighborhoods near Baxter and Northern Lights. You will see police in the area. Please use extreme caution if you are going to be outside. It would be a great idea to not leave garage doors and people doors to your home propped open right now."

Dave Battle, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Anchorage area biologist, told Anchorage Daily News, the bear charged a man and his son near a wooded area near a lake.

"The bear stopped about 20 yards in front of the people," Battle said. "The man had a gun but did not shoot the bear because it retreated into the woods after the charge."

Moments later, police arrived at the scene and shot and killed the black bear.

"The bear was dispatched last night as it was charging people and causing a public safety risk," police confirmed in a Facebook post.

According to Battle, who spoke with Alaska Public Media, the recent shooting on Sunday has brought the number of bear deaths in Anchorage to 16 this year. This includes 13 black bears killed by responding agencies and three killed by citizens who reported defending themselves or their property. Battle considers this number to be "too high" but on par with the average.

Are black bears dangerous?Here's what to do if you see one in the wild.

Based on information from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, black bears are the most prevalent and broadly dispersed of the three types of North American bears. There are roughly 100,000 black bears residing in Alaska. In 2022, 14 black bears were exterminated by agencies and an additional six were killed by citizens.