Home / Environment / Court Allows Alaska Bear Cull for Caribou Herd Recovery
Court Allows Alaska Bear Cull for Caribou Herd Recovery
7 May
Summary
- Judge allows aerial hunting of black and brown bears.
- Program aims to help the declining Mulchatna caribou herd.
- Conservation groups argue against the plan's scientific basis.
In a significant ruling on Wednesday, May 7, 2026, an Alaska judge permitted wildlife agents to resume shooting and killing black and brown bears, even from helicopters. This controversial program is designed to assist the recovery of the Mulchatna caribou herd, which has seen a dramatic decline. Conservation groups had contested the plan, arguing it lacked sufficient scientific data on bear populations.
The court's decision came just as the Mulchatna herd in southwest Alaska was expected to begin calving, a critical period when young caribou are most vulnerable to predation. State officials maintain that the bear-killing initiative is crucial for the herd's resurgence, as it once sustained subsistence hunters but plummeted from an estimated 190,000 animals to around 13,000 by 2019.
Between 2023 and early 2024, state officials reportedly killed 180 bears, with conservationists noting the use of aerial hunting, including the killing of cubs. Despite these efforts, groups like the Center for Biological Diversity question the program's efficacy and advocate for science-based wildlife management. The state, however, asserts that the caribou herd has shown positive responses since the removal of bears began in 2023.
