In southwestern Alaska, as spring arrived, the state Department of Fish and Game embarked on a mission to manage the area’s wildlife. A team rose early and flew in small airplanes over Wood-Tikchik State Park’s 1.6 million acres, which make up nearly a fifth of all state park land in the United States. The pilots and crew marveled at the electric green growth emerging from the snow and watched thousands of caribou gathered in preparation for calving. They also kept an eye out for brown bears and other predators. Upon sighting these animals, they radioed in the location to waiting helicopters carrying shooters armed with 12-gauge shotguns.
Over a period of 17 days, the team took out 94 brown bears, including several year-old cubs as well as 11 newer cubs still nursing, and five black bears and five wolves. This was nearly four times the number of animals the agency planned on culling. Despite no baseline studies being conducted to determine the numbers of these animals in the area, Fish and Game claims this reduced the area’s bear population by 74 percent. This was part of a larger effort to protect the caribou population, which has dwindled from 200,000 in 1997 to around 12,000 today. Caribou represent a crucial food and cultural resource for many Alaska Native communities.
However, this extensive culling led to political and scientific controversy, with many calling into question the agency’s approach to wildlife management. Critics alleged the killings violated the state constitution. Further, climate-related impacts, such as hampered grazing and wildfires burning their forage, have compromised the caribou’s habitat. Despite these complexities, various state wildlife agencies are taking an easier approach by blaming predator populations for these declines and resorting to culling operations. As the climate crisis intensifies, wildlife management strategies need to adapt rather than resorting to superficial fixes through culling large predator populations. Moreover, these strategies must confront the complex realities of ecosystems threatened by climate change.
