Anchorage considers 'bear cop'

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Residents of Anchorage, Alaska, say they're divided over how to handle bears who roam too close to homes, parks and businesses.

The Alaska Assembly is considering a plan to hire a "bear cop" who would keep track of meandering bears and use air horns and rubber bullets to drive them back into the wild, the Anchorage Daily News reported Monday.

The bear cop, who would be a wildlife specialist, would have the power to relocate or kill a bear, said Assemblyman Bill Starr.

Anchorage residents are split on how to proceed against bears living in the city. Some think the state should take a more aggressive stance against the bears while others say the bears are just following their instincts, the Daily News reported.

Since June, bears in Anchorage have confronted or chased hikers on city trails, mauled a 15-year-old girl competing in a bicycle marathon and hospitalized a 51-year-old woman walking on a trail in a park, the News reported.