Brown Bears of AWCC

The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center has the largest bear enclosure in the United States, where solar electricity powers the fence around eighteen acres, a nearby windmill pumps water into the pond, and bears are fed local Alaskan salmon, road-killed moose, dog food, carrots, and apples so they can be observed displaying natural behaviors. Brown bears once inhabited much of North America but now occupy less than one percent of their former range, as habitat destruction and human encroachment increase competition for food and space and lead to some bears being killed in defense of life or property; such incidents can be reduced through proper garbage disposal and learning how to behave around bears in the wild. Brown bears and grizzly bears are technically the same species, Ursus arctos: inland bears are often called grizzlies and feed mainly on roots, berries, and ground-dwelling rodents, while coastal bears are commonly called brown bears and rely heavily on salmon, with size depending on available food and how long they have to eat it, making coastal bears typically larger than interior grizzlies. Hugo, a female born in winter 2000, was found on November 16, 2000, near Kotzebu, Alaska, after two men on snowmobiles discovered the small cub with hundreds of porcupine quills embedded in her paws; she was severely dehydrated, malnourished, and unable to walk or eat, and because she was orphaned so young she was placed at the center for care, treatment, and a permanent home. Joe Boxer and Patron, sibling cubs born in winter 2004, were found on September 4, 2004, in Willow, Alaska, after a resident shot their mother when she killed a moose calf in his backyard and he feared for his dog; because cubs were left in a nearby tree, the siblings were placed together at the center, where they joined Hugo.

Anchorage, Alaska · United States