Sitka's orphaned cubs may end up at a zoo

They will spend the rest of their lives in captivity and under observation, but the state Department of Fish and Game believes that their lives up to the time they were taken into custody is worth knowing about, too.

To that end, Fish and Game wildlife biologist Phil Mooney is asking residents to help document the cubs' activities from the time they, their mother and a sibling first turned up in town early this summer until their capture on Aug. 16.

"We have all these pictures that people took of the bears wandering through residential neighborhoods for two months," Mooney said. "I know there are hundreds out there."

He said he believes an electronic scrapbook, which could include digital photos and scanned photographs, would be of interest to people who see the bears wherever they wind up.

Photos and narratives related to the cubs may be sent to the special e-mail address that has been set up: sitkasow4cubs@gmail.com.

Mooney asked that contributors include name, phone numbers and the date and place the photo was taken.

"We will acknowledge all photo credits to the photographers," he said.

The cubs were picked up and taken to Fortress, a non-profit bear habitat, on Aug. 16 after Fish and Game determined they had likely been orphaned.

Originally there were four cubs with the sow. When the cubs turned up wandering through town without the mother bear nearby, Mooney suspected she was dead.

That was confirmed on Aug. 26, when a hiker found a decomposing bear carcass near Shaffer's Trailer Court in the 2300 block of Halibut Point Road. Even before the carcass was found, it was feared that the sow might have died from the effect of the many times she was struck by "non-lethal" projectiles fired at her by public safety officers attempting to haze her back into the woods.

Investigation is ongoing, but Mooney said he has been unable to move the remains because of the advanced state of decay.

One of the cubs died from a misplaced dart as it was being captured. Mooney said every effort is being made to keep the three remaining siblings together "as a social group," even if they are relocated.

"We're looking for someone that will take them as a family unit," Mooney said. "There's a good chance that will happen this year."

The Bronx Zoo, one of the biggest and most visited zoos in the world, is one of those that have been contacted. Evy Kinnear, one of the directors of the Fortress, raised the possibility recently of relocating the Fortress' two young resident bears, Killisnoo and Chaik, to a new facility, while keeping the three new cubs in Sitka.

This five-member bear family was one of three groups of bears that came to widespread community attention this summer.

One family was frequently seen at Starrigavan. The group of four cubs and their mother was seen in residential areas throughout the road system.

Mooney said he wasn't surprised that the sow ended up dead.

"It was unfortunate circumstances," he said. "People got less and less tolerant of her being around."

He estimated that the bear had been hit up to 50 times with rubber bullets, and suspects that one may have pierced a lung. Mooney said he will know more after a necropsy, which will be conducted after the carcass has fully decomposed. It can't be moved now because of its jelly-like state of decomposition.

"We'd rather let the maggots do their job," Mooney said.

While it is a common practice to haze bears with rubber bullets, it rarely works on sows that are protecting their cubs, he said.

"She's going to stick to those cubs," he said.

Mooney said he always hopes the bears that are sighted near town will make it through the season with as few encounters with people as possible. But unfortunately, he said, he regularly sees a progression of public attitudes that ends up badly for the bear.

"The first phase is you are surprised," Mooney said. "Then there's excitement, where everyone runs and gets their digital cameras, sends pictures to their friends ... the third is inconvenience, where people are annoyed that the bears are knocking over their trash, they are afraid for their dogs, their kids."

After about a week and a half comes "intolerance," Mooney said.

"They want to destroy the bear," he said.

Mooney laments that most of the problems this year could have been solved with common sense by residents. That means observing the city's bear avoidance ordinance, keeping trash and other attractants inside. The city may have to start getting tougher on those who violate the ordinance, Mooney said.

"I think most people do a good job," he said. But as few as 10 percent of the population could be the source of all of the problems of attracting and keeping bears in town.

Cubs will follow the lead of their mother, he added, and once habituated, will return the next year to raid garbage cans.

The number of bear calls to police and wildlife authorities is down the past week, Mooney said, but added: "We're not out of the woods yet just because we're into September. They'll still be prowling around the neighborhoods."