Black bear killed after close encounter at Portage campground

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – A male black bear was shot and killed by a U.S. Forest Service officer Tuesday morning after he was caught attempting to break into an occupied tent near Portage.

This is not the first time authorities in the area have dealt with a bear encounter in recent days. Earlier this month, a person was injured when a black bear jumped on a tent with people inside near Portage Glacier Road. The person was not seriously hurt, but sustained injuries in the June 14 encounter.

The US Forest Service closed the Williwaw Campground and the Black Bear Campground following the incident.

The state Department of Fish and Game said Tuesday it could not confirm whether the bear in the previous encounter was the same one killed Tuesday, but the bear in the first attack has been seen near the camp multiple times. The Forest Service says the bear is in the habit of scavenging food from the campsite.

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