Moose, wolves, bears Oh My!

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Tammie Ramsouer
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  A thick and heavy snowfall encompasses the Alaska terrain. The driver can hardly see the road. He faintly sees a black mass and slams on the brakes. His tires skid on the road and he hits something big and furry.

Incidents where animals intersect with rural life happen on and off Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson frequently during the winter. Wildlife is plentiful on roadways and in populated areas. To keep residents and animals safe, base officials outlined some applicable guidelines and offered tips for positive coexistence with wildlife.

Many accidents can happen on the road, one of them being hitting a wild animal. Avoiding wildlife can be difficult with limited visibility, but driving defensively can save both drivers and animals. Maintaining a slow, steady, speed on icy roads can help drivers stop faster and avoid hitting animals on the roads.

"During the winter, moose will always take the easy way to food, and one of them may be crossing a busy roadway," said Mark Sledge, 673d CES Conservation Law Enforcement officer on JBER.

If an animal is hit by a motorist on JBER, Security Forces calls the wildlife conservation office to determine if the animal needs to be put down.

"Depending on the injuries of the animal, the wildlife conservation officers on scene will call their chain of command to determine the course of action," said Tech. Sgt. Andy Lockhart, noncommissioned officer in charge of military conservation agents on JBER.

If the animal is put down, local charities in Anchorage use the salvageable meat, said James Wendland, 673d Civil Engineer Squadron conservation law enforcement officer.


In addition to road hazards, wildlife can present other challenges. In residential areas, knowing how to react, such as walking away slowly or making as much noise as possible to scare the animal away, is important when people come face-to-face with a wild animal, Sledge said. One way to keep animals, such as bears, away from residential areas is properly using bear-proof dumpsters, according to Sledge.

"The majority of our calls come from individuals leaving their trash outside the dumpsters in residential areas," Wenland said. "Once animals get a reward, they will keep coming back periodically for weeks--if not months--looking for more."

Alaska state law leaves the wildlife conservation officers little choice but to put the animal down if that animal does not stop the repetitive nuisance behavior after officers attempt to deter it.

The officers deter animals by making loud noises, shooting them with non-lethal rubber bullets, and if the animal is a bear, by using bear spray.

"We go by the policy of the state," Sledge said. "The state has that law for a reason and it is for neighborhood safety."

Children could face wildlife at any time at school playgrounds and bus stops. Moose calves and bear cubs can get too close to children, which can be hazardous to both the children and the animals. Children can avoid confrontation with wildlife by staying with an adult or walking away calmly and slowly.

Animals are attracted to typical Fall decorations, such as pumpkins and corn stalks. Halloween is the one time of year festive decorations are allowed but only during the hours of trick-or-treating. Most animals will not go towards noises they do not have an interest in, Sledge said.

If the wildlife officers are called out to deal with an animal that is causing a problem, a $325 ticket could be the price to pay for the individual responsible for attracting the animal.

Sledge highly recommends if residents use decorations during the Fall, using synthetic, foam or ceramic pumpkins, which will not attract hungry animals.

If wildlife becomes a problem during duty hours, call the wildlife conservation office at 552-WILD or 552-8609. After duty hours, individuals can call the Law Enforcement desk at 552-3421.