Massive bones that appeared to be whale vertebrae and a walrus skull with tusks were among the items federal agents hauled out of a downtown Anchorage building housing an antique and curio shop this week.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents placed items from the building, at 1001 W. Fourth Ave., into an evidence van over the course of a few hours midday Tuesday. It houses The Antique Gallery.
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Assistant U.S. Attorney Aunnie Steward confirmed a federal investigation was underway involving The Antique Gallery but would say no more.
A man who answered the gallery's business phone Wednesday said he was the owner and had no comment. He said he was on the road in Oklahoma. A store employee said the business was participating in a gun show there. State business records list Walter Earl of Anchorage as The Antique Gallery's owner.
The Antique Gallery remained open Wednesday. It specializes in high-end estate goods, including jewelry, rare guns and original artwork, including carved ivory. A number of carved ivory pieces remained for sale.
The focus of the investigation wasn't made public by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Andrea Medeiros, a spokeswoman for the Fish and Wildlife Service, said Wednesday that she was unable to reach law enforcement officials about the case.
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Walrus parts, including tusks, can be sold or traded among Alaska Natives, or to a registered agent for sale to Natives. Generally to be sold to a non-Native member of the public, walrus ivory, whale bones and baleen must be turned into a handicraft or art piece, according to federal officials. Baleen that is cleaned and polished can be sold, for instance.
The state of the seized items wasn't apparent from a distance.