Alaska's Well-known Grizzly 'Bear 147' Killed After Breaking Into Kitchens

DEADHORSE, AK — A 10-year-old grizzly bear known as "Bear 147" by researchers has been killed after breaking into kitchens and food-storage areas on Alaska's North Slope.

Dick Shideler, a state wildlife biologist, squarely placed blame for the bear's demise on Deadhorse residents not using bear-proof garbage cans. Deadhorse is a support enclave for the oil industry. People must stop placing food waste in unsecured bins, he said, a practice that conditioned the bear to human-provided food.

The grizzly was well-known to researchers in the area. She spent her life around Deadhorse and the nearby Prudhoe Bay oilfields. The bear's two cubs were captured and will be relocated to a zoo in Oakland, California.(For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

This is the first lethal removal of a bear in Deadhorse, located about 10 miles south of Alaska's northern coast, since seven bears were killed in 2001-2002.

Photo credit: John Critchley via Flickr/Creative Commons