A black bear sow and four cubs that have been rummaging through trash in Anchorage's Government Hill neighborhood are still on the loose despite efforts by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to capture and move them.
The bears made their appearance in the neighborhood for the second year in a row early last week. Shortly after, Fish and Game decided to kill the bears, saying they posed a public safety risk, but Gov. Bill Walker on April 18 asked Fish and Game to spare the bears' lives.
Plans to trap and move the bears quickly went into place. But the bears haven't been seen in Government Hill since Monday, on the neighborhood's garbage day, Fish and Game spokesperson Ken Marsh said.
"It seems Government Hill has gone the extra mile to clean up, and the bears -- finding no food -- have moved on," Marsh wrote in an email.
The bears were last spotted Thursday on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Marsh said.
According to Marsh, it is possible the bears will return to the Government Hill neighborhood if it's not kept clean.
When the bears are captured, they will likely be moved to Portage Valley, about 60 miles away.