Kodiak jumps fence! What will happen to her?

[medic2022]

OK so my mom in law is up and we were decided to take her around the Turagain to see the sights. Well We found this nice little place the Alaska wildlife conservation center. My wife said we should go and drive around see the animals and maybe make everyone happy. Not to pricey $30 for the car and they had a few nice large pastures with a good representation of what we have here in Alaska. You know the Moose, Eagles, and Porcupines. Then we get to the Bears. Thank god they were up and walking around. I Even had a Blond Kodiak charge at me. (wow). Then the unexpected happened. As a worker passed by the back of the pin she turned and started for the fence on the side of the pin and CLIMBED it. right over and on the main road way. I loaded the family and thankfully she only walked at us a few steps then turned and disappeared in to the woods behind the park. It was amazing to see and my mother inlaw loved it. As did we all.

I know they took off after the bear on snow machines and were tracking the prints in the snow, do you think they will put it down? She was not from Kenai IDK if that matters or not.

[medic2022]

No one has any ideas? I cant find anything on the news or any were for the matter. I know it happened my family and I witnessed it. I hope they don't put her down she was a beautiful blond phase and young.

[.338WM]

I do not know what they will do, however I cannot imagine why they "put it down". This is Alaska and we have bears, as you know. The bear would likely survive just fine if "they" do not recover it. I would be inclined to believe it would be darted nad returned.

Did you try calling the facility and asking "them", they would have the best answer ?

[medic2022]

yep at first she denied it happened and after i informed her i was witness she said she had no comment.

[.338WM]

Not surprising. You/we may never know the outcome unless someone "notices" a bear is/remains absent. Likely AST/FWP and ADFG would frown upon such an event.

[Frostbitten]

I would think that it's up the the owners of the place if they want to pursue the bear and get her back. 338 makes a great point, there's no obvious reason to put her down, she's just another bear outside the fence at this point.

[medic2022]

That is what i figured. My biggest question was because she is from Kodiak is it a death sentience?

[Brian M]

If it was one of the twin 3 year olds, those bears are somewhat trained and would likely be coaxed back by their handler. I took a class down there back in November and got to observe a biologist working with those two bears. He's doing work on color determination in brown bears and has a lot of daily interaction with those bears. I wouldn't be surprised if it came back on its own if it made it very far.

[medic2022]

It was the female of the twins. We were forced to stay at the park for around 45min after she got out. We watched her make it to the hill side behind the park. It was a good distance away IDK maybe 7ish miles to the tree line then I lost her with the spotting scope. She was not slowing in the least. I hope she is found and taken back.

I was unarmed and she at her will could have had my family or I w/o strugglele. Yet all she did was a false charge and give off a few chops of her jaw then turned to run out of the park. It was amazing ancertainlyly change the way I feel about Brown bears.

[AGL4now]

It should be in my yard in about 3 hours.......

[.338WM]

You are very fortunate that her primary considerations were to escape.

[Ryan J]

I find this story very entertaining. Not in regards to the OP, I am certainly glad nobody was injured. But, I envision the bear noting shift change of the guards, cell checks, etc then finally turining to the others....."I'm going for it!" Did the other bears cheer and bang their cups against the fence?
In all seriousness, what would the breeding potential be? At their DNA are they the same as Griz? If she mated with one of the KP bears in the area that could be some interesting offspring. Would she stick around the Portage Valley area for fish or adopt a more "interior" lifestyle? These questions and more will keep me up tonight.....
It certainly didn't seem to make the headlines. I'm guessing a bit of an embarassment for all involved.

[LuJon]

Genetically it is just another brown bear. I did get a laugh out of your vision of the "scene of the escape".

[AGL4now]

If it is not careful, it stands a good chance of ending up as lunch to one of the many large bears on the south shore of Turnagain Arm. Even the wolves could make short work of a bear with NO maternal education.

[medic2022]

You are very fortunate that her primary considerations were to escape.

I thought thatcertainlyy did notescapee me.

[wilderness woman]

So now we know the rest of the story.....

http://www.adn.com/2012/06/14/250520...killed-by.html
and even more to the story...
http://www.adn.com/2012/06/21/251468...-farewell.html

[LuJon]

Thanks for the update. I am not surprised at all. A habituated bear lost into a fairly populated state there were only two likely outcomes to the story. Either the bear would be captured and returned to the AWCC or it would end up in a confrontation with local residents ending in a dead and possibly a hurt or killed human.