KENAI, Alaska (AP) -- Seven grizzly bears were killed in defense of life or property in less than a week on the Kenai Peninsula, state biologists said, bringing the total for the season to 11.
"I can't emphasize enough how a few simple measures, such as having an electric fence, not leaving out dog food and having garbage in bear-resistant receptacles, could have prevented most of these incidents," said Jeff Selinger, a Fish and Game wildlife biologist.
Several of the shootings involved bears trying to get into chicken coops that were not protected by electric fences, and another took place after a sow charged a man in a tree stand above a black bear bait station.
One shooting that was not in defense was at the Russian River, where a brown bear darted last Wednesday and dyed with fluorescent paint - to identify it as a problem bear - was found dead.
"When we performed the field necropsy, we found that the tranquilizer dart had penetrated the bear's liver," Selinger said.
Selinger called the death unfortunate but said it will not dissuade officials from moving forward with the program in the future. | 
