JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Tasked with the safety of people and animals on base and enforcement of laws and recreation regulation on base, 673d Civil Engineer Squadron conservation law enforcement officers often respond to bears or other wildlife in residential areas on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. In 2021, JBER’s chief CLEO responded to a call regarding a particular bear napping under a playground slide.
“I basically ruined her slumber and woke her up and started escorting her through housing,” said James Wendland.
Herding her out of housing and towards a more wooded area, Wendland wished a good morning to a man and his small dog out on a walk.
“That’s one heck of a dog you’re taking for a walk there,” joked the man as the large black bear trotted by, followed by Wendland in his brown shirt and gold badge.
“Looking back, that must have been kind of strange from his perspective.” Wendland said. “Just a big bear and a guy come walking through while you're walking your dog.”
This large female black bear is unique in that she is visually impaired, affectionately known to the CLEOs as Blind Betty.
“We knew there was something not normal because of the way she meanders and runs into things,” said JBER 673d CES senior CLEO Mark Sledge.
To keep Betty from hurting herself or causing damage, the CLEOs have learned alternative methods of moving her. They use a pepper ball system, similar to a paintball gun, and shoot to the ground near her right or left side to encourage her to move in the opposite direction, rather than shooting directly at her. They also sometimes speak to her, slowly guiding her away from residential areas.
“Residents were laughing and videotaping because I’m talking to her like a child, saying ‘no, no, gotta go this way’ because I wouldn't hit her with the pepper balls,” Sledge described.
Regardless of her disability, she’s adapted and been observed as a healthy, large, female black bear, and according to Wendland and Sledge, she’s probably the biggest female bear on base.
“The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has dealt with her; [Alaska State] Troopers have dealt with her; [Anchorage Police Department] has dealt with her because she goes downtown as well as here,” said Sledge. “Everyone knows her; she’s our favorite nuisance bear.”
The number one concern the CLEOs have when it comes to Betty, and other bears, is people.
“The biggest thing right now, regardless of the bear, is to not approach it to get a picture,” said Sledge.
Not only is it dangerous because mother bears will defend their young; you may be in the way of a CLEO trying to get the bear out of an area.
“We're trying to move her out of that area safely, and next thing we know, we'll have all kinds of cars on the side of the road and people getting out of them wanting to get pictures, right in the direct line where we need to get her through,” said Wendland.
The bears are waking up, but as yet there’s little food, Wendland pointed out.
“There's no green grass, there's no dandelions,” he said. “They're scavenging for everything they can; they're opportunistic, which is exactly what blind Betty is.”
That means keeping human food out of their reach is important.
“Keep your tipper carts in the garage so you're not negligently feeding them. Close the dumpsters,” Sledge said.
Despite the fuzzy cuteness, bears - even disabled ones - can be dangerous.
“Even though blind Betty seems to be a little more passive than most, she's still a wild animal,” Wendland said. “I'm sure that if you run into her or get too close, she still could harm you pretty easily. Right now she's probably a little bit more aggressive, because she's hungry; she just came out of that long winter sleep.”
Some other bear safety tips include not leaving trash, bird feeders, pet food, or anything else that could attract a bear outside or in your car. Make sure to have situational awareness; don’t run outside with headphones on, make sure you know where your children are, and don’t try to get close to bears or other wildlife.
If you see Betty or one of her furry companions on JBER, make sure to keep your distance-and contact the JBER Security Forces law enforcement desk at 907-552-7070 if they’re in trash or residential areas.