Young bear euthanized following incident downtown; Fish and Game, JPD encourage securing trash

‘If they get into the trash, it’s our fault’

Damaged trash bags are seen in the 300 block of West Willoughby Ave on Thursday, July 9, 2026. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Independent)

By Jasz Garrett

Juneau Independent

This story has been updated with additional information about the separate investigations by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers and the Juneau Police Department, as well as a revised statement by JPD.

A bear downtown was euthanized by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game after a man shot it on Thursday morning, according to the Juneau Police Department. 

Deputy Chief Krag Campbell said JPD received multiple calls about a suspect shooting at a bear in the 300 block of West Willoughby Ave. The initial call came in at about 9:51 a.m., describing the animal digging in trash but not acting aggressively. Campbell said JPD responded and Fish and Game was advised. The bear was euthanized as a result of its injuries.

“Bears, they live in our community, and we’ve got to live with them,” Campbell said. “Anything we can do to prevent them from getting into trash and causing problems can just help keep them safe.”

He said officers attempted to contact the suspect and the weapon was not located. The JPD investigation is ongoing since the man shot a firearm within city limits which, if convicted, is a Class A misdemeanor. 

Alaska law allows lethal force against a bear for self-defense or to prevent serious property damage (or as part of regulated hunting with proper permits). Unauthorized shooting, whether accidental or intentional, can result in fines, license loss and criminal charges. 

Hannah Manninen, an assistant wildlife biologist with ADF&G, said the incident involved a pair of yearling bears who were likely siblings. She said a female bear was put down as a result of her injuries and the sibling was unharmed.

“Fish and Game euthanized the bear once we thought it was mortally wounded by a member of the public,” Manninen said in an interview Friday.

The Alaska Wildlife Troopers will investigate the shooting.

Manninen said the unharmed adolescent bear is not a danger to the public and the two were in the area due to unsecured trash. There have been no other cases of bear euthanasia in Juneau this year, according to Manninen. But the department has received an uptick in reports of black bears getting into unsecured trash and livestock unprotected by electric fences.

“You may kill a bear in defense of your life or property if you did not provoke an attack or cause a problem by negligently leaving human or pet food or garbage in a manner that attracts bears and if you have done everything else you can to protect your life and property,” a page on the ADF&G website states.

Abby McAllister, education and outreach specialist for the department’s Division of Wildlife, said she believes the situation was “entirely preventable.”

“This was an area where there’s a lot of unsecured trash and so the bears were just surviving basically on this unsecured garbage, and so that’s why they were in the area,” she said. “The bears were doing what bears normally do, which is trying to just get fat.”

McAllister said the trash left out was an easy way to obtain calories, and the two bears were food-conditioned and not afraid of humans. She added the extended cold spring means it’s been a harder time for bears, but there are still natural foods available.

“It was totally preventable, because had there not been that human-caused food source then they would have been forced to go and forage,” she said.

Trash is seen scattered in the 300 block of West Willoughby Ave on Thursday, July 9, 2026. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Independent)

McAllister reminded people to be diligent about their trash to avoid attracting bears.

“If they don’t learn to get into trash, then they won't repeat that lesson. But really, it’s our fault, right? If they get into the trash, it's our fault,” she said. “The bears are just doing what bears do, and so if a bear is euthanized, it’s really on the humans.”

She said young bears are like young humans in the sense that “they are finding their way in the world, and they do that by trial and error.”

A “Living With Bears” page on the ADF&G website advises on handling bear encounters and details what to do if a conflict arises. Additionally, the website offers resources on managing bear attractants. 

• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz@juneauindependent.com or (907) 723-9356.