The demonstration showed that there's a safe way to take out the trash in bear country, and it involves using a 96-gallon container available through Alaska Waste. The cans have a locking lid that can be opened only by putting your finger through a small hole and pushing a button -- something Mavis and Zayk can't manage.
The bears tried for 15 minutes, and no matter how often they tossed or stomped the can, the lid stayed on. "Then we switched to a typical Rubbermaid trash can and it literally took them 10 seconds to pop it open," bear keeper Stephanie Hartman said.
As part of a six-month pilot program run by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, cans are available at no cost to residents in Muldoon and Stuckagain Heights; other residents can rent them for $9 a month. So far, 223 homes have made the switch, Katy Suddock of Alaska Waste said. Advice for those who get one: They're only bear-proof if the lid is on securely -- in other words, don't overfill them.
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