Why young polar bear was 'removed from the wild' in Alaska

A young polar bear that had been roaming alone near Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay will spend the rest of its life in captivity.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service explained that the bear was recently captured and transported to the Alaska Zoo because it had become accustomed to people and was deemed a public safety threat.

“The decision to remove this bear from the wild was not made lightly,” said David Gustine, lead biologist for the USFWS’ Polar Bear Program. “Removing a bear is not a good outcome for the individual or the wild population, but we felt it was the best course of action in this situation.”

The male cub is 10-11 months old. Its condition was described as “fair to good” despite a laceration on its upper lip.

A rare decision has been made to capture an orphaned polar bear cub found roaming Prudhoe Bay and transport it to the Alaska Zoo. The bear was exhibiting comfort around people, raising concerns about potential conflicts: https://t.co/NJSlONDhFV

Courtesy of Alaska Zoo pic.twitter.com/Z6oys9KdSy

— USFWS News (@USFWSNews) December 22, 2022

“It had been observed eating a fox, lacerations on its upper lip are likely from that activity,” said Patrick Lampi, the Alaska Zoo’s executive director. “With rabies in fox prevalent in the Prudhoe Bay area, we have special extended quarantine procedures in place for this cub.”

It’s unclear where the bear will reside in the longterm, but the the USFWS stated: “Given the bear’s behavior around humans and its young age, it will not be returned to the wild.”

Polar bear cubs typically stay with their mothers for at least two years.

The last time a polar bear was removed from the wild in Alaska was in 2013. That male cub, orphaned in Point Lay, resides at the Saint Louis Zoo.

Polar Bears are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, primarily because of threats posed by vanishing sea ice due to climate change.