Alaska wants to resume hunting wolves and bears from helicopters

The state of Alaska intends to resume the practice of shooting wild bears and wolves by hunters from helicopters. This was reported by The Guardian on January 20.

According to the newspaper, this measure could lead to the destruction of up to 80% of animals on an area of more than 8 thousand hectares.

"The latest program will allow aerial hunters to kill 80% of wolves (until the population is reduced to 35), 80% of black bears (until the population is reduced to 700) and 60% of brown bears (until the population is reduced to 375)," the publication said.

Many activists have condemned the practice, calling it barbaric because there is no evidence that it will increase moose and deer numbers.

A state report published in October on the problem of shooting predators argues that there is no data to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the measure. Disease, food shortages and harsh winter conditions are cited as the main factors in the decline of moose and deer populations. It is specified that about 65% of individuals died of starvation and dehydration.

Critics of the resumption of shooting also emphasize that the state authorities are unable to adequately assess the impact of this decision on the ecosystem, as they did not conduct a study to determine the number of brown bears before allowing their shooting. Moreover, more than half of the animals killed in 2024 were females, raising doubts about the population's ability to recover.

Earlier, on January 4, a fire broke out in a pet store in the US city of Dallas. As a result of the incident, 579 animals died. Most of them - due to smoke poisoning. Mostly they were small chicks, but among the dead there are also two dogs and two cats.