Serious efforts are being made to capture and kill this bear and when this happens DNA analysis will be made to make sure that the correct bear has been given the death penalty. If it's not the guilty party, the search will continue until the real malefactor is found.
The area in which this event took place is a populated enclave within the limits of Chugach State Park. This brings to mind a question: What, in reality, is the purpose of a park? Is a park meant to be a place where humans can experience nature? Or is it a place where nature, or someone's concept of nature, can be preserved?
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Mission Statement
"The Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation provides outdoor recreation opportunities and conserves and interprets natural, cultural, and historic resources for the use, enjoyment, and welfare of the people."********************************************
Enjoyment and welfare of the people probably doesn't include being killed and/or eaten by Ursus arctos. However, Mr. Bear is a legitimate part of the natural scene and has been for some time. Unlike some genuine invasive species, he was in the area long before the white man, an invasive species himself, arrived.
Regardless, the death of one man at the paws of a bear won't mean that all bears will be hunted down and killed. Only the one that had the audacity to ignore humankind's strictures against murder will be subject to justice. Other bears, who know better or are fearful enough of their human overlords, will continue to be protected, as they are everywhere in Alaska, except when they pose a danger to homo sapiens.
July 19 update: Three brown bears were killed in the Eagle River, Alaska area where one man had been mauled to death and another injured on June 20th. DNA analysis has revealed that these bears had nothing to do with the attack and the guilty bear is still roaming around south central Alaska somewhere.
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