Wilderness Retrieval
CHUGACH MOUNTAINS, Alaska -- 1st Lt. Luke Buckley climbs out of a brown (grizzly) bear den after recovering a tracking collar that was designed to fall off during winter hibernation. Lieutenant Buckley is a Military Conservation Agent at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. He volunteered to help Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologists retrieve the collars. The bear tracking study, conducted by the ADFG, was funded by the Department of Defense to monitor the movements of brown bears on Elmendorf and neighboring Fort Richardson. On June 28, three teams of three agents were flown into the mountains with radio trackers and located the collars in the dens. (RELEASED) U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Keith Brown