Bears visit Anchorage for moose meals

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, June 5 (UPI) -- The arrival of summer weather in Anchorage, Alaska, has brought the area's moose and bears out of hiding and into urban areas.

Residents of the upscale Double Tree Court neighborhood witnessed a scene last week where a grizzly bear that had wandered into the city killed and ate two moose calves that had been born in the area, the Anchorage Daily News reported Tuesday.

"I've shot quite a few bears in my life, and I thought it was a huge bear," said resident Myron Farrell, who spotted the bear while driving in his car. "It really surprised me for Anchorage."

Rick Sinnott, a wildlife biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said the animals come from a number of nearby wilderness areas. He said many bears thrive in a nearby half-million-acre state park and some are drawn out by the city's large moose population.

"You've got the bears in town chasing moose calves," Sinnott said. "You've got the moose cows trying to protect their calves ... It's almost the perfect storm."