An Alaska judge has allowed state wildlife officials to continue a controversial predator control program that permits bears to be shot from helicopters in an effort to protect the declining Mulchatna caribou herd. The ruling came after environmental groups tried to block the program, arguing the state lacked sufficient scientific evidence about long-term impacts on bear populations. Officials said the decision is critical as the caribou calving season begins, when newborn calves are especially vulnerable to predators. The case has intensified debate over wildlife management and conservation policies in Alaska.
State Defends Predator Control Program for Caribou Recovery
Alaska officials argued the bear removal program is necessary to help rebuild the Mulchatna caribou herd, which once numbered nearly 190,000 animals but has sharply declined over the past two decades. According to state data, the herd dropped to around 13,000 animals by 2019 before slightly improving in recent years. Hunting of the herd has remained suspended since 2021 because of low population numbers. State attorneys said the program has already shown positive results since predator removals began during calving seasons in 2023.
Conservation Groups Condemn Bear Killings as Scientifically Baseless
Environmental organizations including the Alaska Wildlife Alliance and the Center for Biological Diversity strongly criticized the ruling and accused the state of approving the program without enough data about bear population sustainability. The groups argued that disease, food shortages, and habitat conditions played a larger role in the caribou decline than bear predation. Court filings stated that Alaska wildlife agents killed more than 180 bears between 2023 and 2024, including many brown bears and cubs. Conservation advocates warned the large-scale predator control effort could permanently damage local bear populations across southwestern Alaska.
Legal Battle Over Alaska Wildlife Management Continues
Superior Court Judge Adolf Zeman ruled that the conservation groups failed to prove the state acted unreasonably when approving the predator control plan. The ruling allows the program to continue while broader legal challenges remain ongoing in Alaska courts. State officials welcomed the decision, describing it as important for protecting subsistence hunting traditions and supporting rural communities that historically relied on the caribou herd for food. Environmental attorneys, however, signaled they may continue pursuing additional legal action against the state’s wildlife management strategy.
