{
  "story": {
    "slug": "20-bears-this-year-5-last-year",
    "headline": "20 bears this year, 5 last year",
    "deck": "Anchorage has put down 20 bears this year, up from 5 last year, mostly over unsecured trash.",
    "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/story/20-bears-this-year-5-last-year",
    "section": "Life",
    "area": "Anchorage",
    "published_at": "2026-09-30T20:00:00+00:00",
    "updated_at": "2026-10-02T08:23:27.525406+00:00",
    "body_md": "Anchorage has put down twenty bears so far this year, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, up from five last year and eleven the year before. Nearly every one of this year's bears got into trouble the same way, going after trash and other easy food that people left out.\n\nThe problem has shown up across the city, including Government Hill, Abbott Loop, the Rabbit Creek area, Eagle River and Northeast Anchorage. Fish and Game says bears are opportunists looking for easy calories, and that slowing them down even a little, with a lid they can't get into, often sends them moving on.\n\nLeaving trash where a bear can get it can cost a resident a 320 dollar fine. In parts of the city, including Girdwood and Government Hill, a bear-resistant can is required, not optional.\n\nOne of the city's major trash haulers says demand for bear-resistant carts is outpacing what it can supply this fall. Haulers that offer the carts say they typically add a few dollars to a customer's bill.\n\nChickens and fruit trees draw bears too. One Abbott Loop resident said residents are basically baiting bears into town by leaving attractants out, including trash set out the night before pickup.",
    "sources": [
      {
        "url": "https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2026/09/27/anchorage-sees-surge-in-bears-killed-with-unsecured-trash-other-lures-a-major-factor/",
        "label": "adn.com"
      }
    ]
  },
  "envelope": {
    "story_id": "6b5d4658-6c26-4e2a-86d8-6ab09b96063d",
    "slug": "20-bears-this-year-5-last-year",
    "summary": "Anchorage has put down 20 bears in 2026, up from 5 in 2025 and 11 the prior year, mostly due to unsecured trash. Fish and Game and trash haulers point to bear-resistant cans, which are required in Girdwood and Government Hill and carry a 320 dollar fine for violations elsewhere, as the fix, though demand for bear-resistant carts is outpacing supply this fall.",
    "key_facts": [
      "Anchorage has put down 20 bears so far this year",
      "Last year 5 bears were put down, the year before that 11",
      "Unsecured trash was a factor in almost all of this year's cases",
      "Bear activity reported in Government Hill, Abbott Loop, Rabbit Creek, Eagle River and Northeast Anchorage",
      "Leaving trash accessible to bears carries a 320 dollar fine",
      "Bear-resistant cans are required in Girdwood and Government Hill",
      "A major trash hauler says demand for bear-resistant carts exceeds current supply"
    ],
    "faq": [
      {
        "a": "Twenty bears so far this year, up from five last year and eleven the year before, mostly because of unsecured trash drawing them into neighborhoods.",
        "q": "How many bears has Anchorage put down this year?"
      },
      {
        "a": "It's 320 dollars if your trash is left where a bear can get into it, so a cheap lid can save you real money.",
        "q": "What's the fine for leaving trash out for bears in Anchorage?"
      },
      {
        "a": "In Girdwood and Government Hill a bear-resistant can isn't optional, though other neighborhoods dealing with bears, like Abbott Loop and Eagle River, don't have that requirement yet.",
        "q": "Where are bear-resistant cans required?"
      },
      {
        "a": "Maybe not right away. One major hauler says requests for bear-resistant carts are outpacing what it can supply this fall, and the carts usually add a few dollars to your bill.",
        "q": "Can I get a bear-resistant trash cart right now?"
      }
    ],
    "claims": [
      {
        "claim": "Anchorage has put down 20 bears so far this year",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2026/09/27/anchorage-sees-surge-in-bears-killed-with-unsecured-trash-other-lures-a-major-factor/",
        "source_label": "adn.com"
      },
      {
        "claim": "Last year 5 bears were put down and the year before that 11",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2026/09/27/anchorage-sees-surge-in-bears-killed-with-unsecured-trash-other-lures-a-major-factor/",
        "source_label": "adn.com"
      },
      {
        "claim": "Leaving trash accessible to bears can result in a 320 dollar fine",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2026/09/27/anchorage-sees-surge-in-bears-killed-with-unsecured-trash-other-lures-a-major-factor/",
        "source_label": "adn.com"
      },
      {
        "claim": "Bear-resistant cans are required in Girdwood and Government Hill",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2026/09/27/anchorage-sees-surge-in-bears-killed-with-unsecured-trash-other-lures-a-major-factor/",
        "source_label": "adn.com"
      },
      {
        "claim": "A major trash hauler says demand for bear-resistant carts exceeds supply this fall",
        "confidence": "reported",
        "source_url": "https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2026/09/27/anchorage-sees-surge-in-bears-killed-with-unsecured-trash-other-lures-a-major-factor/",
        "source_label": "adn.com"
      }
    ],
    "locations": [
      {
        "area": "Anchorage",
        "kind": "neighborhood",
        "name": "Government Hill"
      },
      {
        "area": "Anchorage",
        "kind": "neighborhood",
        "name": "Abbott Loop"
      },
      {
        "area": "Anchorage",
        "kind": "neighborhood",
        "name": "Rabbit Creek"
      },
      {
        "area": "Anchorage",
        "kind": "neighborhood",
        "name": "Eagle River"
      },
      {
        "area": "Anchorage",
        "kind": "neighborhood",
        "name": "Northeast Anchorage"
      },
      {
        "area": "Anchorage",
        "kind": "neighborhood",
        "name": "Girdwood"
      }
    ],
    "people": [],
    "organizations": [
      {
        "kind": "agency",
        "name": "Alaska Department of Fish and Game"
      }
    ],
    "event_dates": [],
    "story_status": "ongoing",
    "what_changed": null,
    "keywords": [
      "anchorage bears",
      "bear kills anchorage 2026",
      "bear resistant trash cans",
      "unsecured trash fine anchorage",
      "alaska fish and game bears",
      "girdwood bear can requirement",
      "abbott loop bears"
    ],
    "disclosure": "Produced with AI assistance, narrated with Slav Lund's voice clone with his consent, and reviewed by a person before publishing.",
    "generated_at": "2026-10-02T08:23:27.405+00:00",
    "reviewed_at": null,
    "updated_at": "2026-10-02T08:23:27.525406+00:00"
  },
  "entities": [
    {
      "slug": "alaska-department-of-fish-and-game",
      "name": "Alaska Department of Fish and Game",
      "kind": "organization",
      "role": "source",
      "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/codex/alaska-department-of-fish-and-game"
    },
    {
      "slug": "girdwood",
      "name": "Girdwood",
      "kind": "place",
      "role": "location",
      "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/codex/girdwood"
    },
    {
      "slug": "government-hill",
      "name": "Government Hill",
      "kind": "place",
      "role": "location",
      "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/codex/government-hill"
    }
  ],
  "corrections": [],
  "underwriting": null,
  "jsonld": {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "NewsArticle",
    "headline": "20 bears this year, 5 last year",
    "description": "Anchorage has put down 20 bears in 2026, up from 5 in 2025 and 11 the prior year, mostly due to unsecured trash. Fish and Game and trash haulers point to bear-resistant cans, which are required in Girdwood and Government Hill and carry a 320 dollar fine for violations elsewhere, as the fix, though demand for bear-resistant carts is outpacing supply this fall.",
    "abstract": "Anchorage has put down 20 bears in 2026, up from 5 in 2025 and 11 the prior year, mostly due to unsecured trash. Fish and Game and trash haulers point to bear-resistant cans, which are required in Girdwood and Government Hill and carry a 320 dollar fine for violations elsewhere, as the fix, though demand for bear-resistant carts is outpacing supply this fall.",
    "datePublished": "2026-09-30T20:00:00+00:00",
    "dateModified": "2026-10-02T08:23:27.525406+00:00",
    "mainEntityOfPage": "https://thedailyalaska.com/story/20-bears-this-year-5-last-year",
    "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/story/20-bears-this-year-5-last-year",
    "author": {
      "@type": "Person",
      "name": "Slav Lund",
      "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/codex/slav-lund"
    },
    "publisher": {
      "@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
      "@id": "https://thedailyalaska.com/#organization",
      "name": "The Daily Alaska",
      "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com",
      "logo": {
        "@type": "ImageObject",
        "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/__l5e/assets-v1/905bb2e5-b597-453b-a39d-7741edb068dc/the-daily-alaska-logo.png"
      }
    },
    "isAccessibleForFree": true,
    "inLanguage": "en-US",
    "articleSection": "Life",
    "keywords": "anchorage bears, bear kills anchorage 2026, bear resistant trash cans, unsecured trash fine anchorage, alaska fish and game bears, girdwood bear can requirement, abbott loop bears",
    "about": [],
    "mentions": [
      {
        "@type": "Thing",
        "name": "Alaska Department of Fish and Game",
        "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/codex/alaska-department-of-fish-and-game"
      },
      {
        "@type": "Thing",
        "name": "Girdwood",
        "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/codex/girdwood"
      },
      {
        "@type": "Thing",
        "name": "Government Hill",
        "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/codex/government-hill"
      }
    ],
    "citation": [
      {
        "@type": "CreativeWork",
        "name": "adn.com",
        "url": "https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2026/09/27/anchorage-sees-surge-in-bears-killed-with-unsecured-trash-other-lures-a-major-factor/"
      }
    ],
    "contentLocation": [
      {
        "@type": "Place",
        "name": "Government Hill"
      },
      {
        "@type": "Place",
        "name": "Abbott Loop"
      },
      {
        "@type": "Place",
        "name": "Rabbit Creek"
      },
      {
        "@type": "Place",
        "name": "Eagle River"
      },
      {
        "@type": "Place",
        "name": "Northeast Anchorage"
      },
      {
        "@type": "Place",
        "name": "Girdwood"
      }
    ]
  }
}