Located in the heart of SE Alaska coastal inside passage, Admiralty and Chichagof Islands claim the most brown bears per square mile of anywhere in the world. Issue 2: Pack Creek Management Area offers an opportunity for visitors to readily see and photograph wild Alaskan brown bears. Above and Beyond Alaska (ABAK) offers a combo kayak-and bear-viewing tour and overnight trips. The ABC Islands bear or Sitka brown bear (Ursus arctos sitkensis) is a subspecies or population of brown bear that resides in Southeast Alaska and is found on Admiralty Island, Baranof Island, and Chichagof Island of Alaska. The second, a viewing tower, requires a mile-long hike through the rain forest. The remote wilderness area of Admiralty Island lies just 15 miles off the coast of Juneau. In addition, it is known as the "Fortress of the Bears". Brown bears like to fish and eat salmon also. The Admiralty Island a.k.a. [citation needed], As these bears reside within the Tongass National Forest, the bears depend on species that are found within the ecosystem of the Tongass. You can also kayak to Pack Creek from Juneau—the trip is 40 miles one-way including a short portage using a trolley from Olivers Inlet to Seymour Canal. Located in the heart of SE Alaska coastal inside passage, Admiralty and Chichagof Islands claim the most brown bears per square mile of anywhere in the world. The Fortress of the Bears. The Brown Bear we work to harvest square from 9ft to 10ft+ with skull size ranging from 23 - 28 inch. Bear wading Pack Creek, Seymour Canal. Don MacDougall, who spent 14 seasons as a ranger at Pack Creek, said, “We need places like Pack Creek because they offer a chance to see brown bears in their natural environment and learn that they aren’t predatory killers. The Tlingit call Admiralty Island Kootznoowoo “Fortress of the Bears”, aptly named with approximately 1,800 brown bears – one of the highest bear densities anywhere on earth. Bear viewing on Admiralty Island, part of Admiralty Island National Monument, a federally protected wilderness area administered by the Tongass National Forest, allows visitors to experience bears at home in the forests of the Kootznoowoo Wilderness. Bears in general stick to a home range they establish as young adults. The brown bear’s claws glowed in the morning light as it trudged toward us. Some of Alaska’s islands like Admiralty Island in the Southeast part of the state and the Kodiak Archipelago off the southern coast of mainland Alaska are home to some of the densest populations of brown bears … At one brown bear per square mile, Admiralty Island, now a national monument, has among the densest concentrations of grizzlies anywhere. Hunt Admiralty and Chichagof islands – World renowned for the highest density of brown bears in the world. While bears outnumber people, bald eagles outnumber bears and provide one of the more outstanding features of Admiralty Island--an estimated 2,500 reside on Admiralty Island--more than all bald eagles known to exist in the remainder of the United States. The island is situated outside of the capital of Juneau, and is reached from there by seaplane. [1][4], Prior studies have shown that the ABC Islands brown bears are the descendants of polar bears from male-dominated brown bears. There was a problem with your submission. [4], Genetic tests demonstrate this bear to have mixed brown bear and, "DNA Study Clarifies Relationship Between Polar Bears and Brown Bears", "The Brown Bear: Father of the Polar Bear", "Genomic Evidence for Island Population Conversion Resolves Conflicting Theories of Polar Bear Evolution", "Ancient Hybridization and an Irish Origin for the Modern Polar Bear Matriline", "Ancient Warming May Have Reunited Polar and Brown Bears, for a Bit", "Polar Bear Evolution Tracked Climate Change, New DNA Study Suggests", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=ABC_Islands_bear&oldid=965746056, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 3 July 2020, at 05:10. There is a lighthouse on the island. Final results show that polar bears have no evidence of brown bear ancestry in their genes and ABC Islands bears show clear ancestry of polar bear genes. There is also a lake in the interior that is the home to the beautiful Trumpeter Swans. Some visitors, such as Edwin Sanchez, a photojournalist from Madrid, venture to Pack Creek on their own. He enjoys exploring wild landscapes and watching wildlife on foot and by boat. They named a lake and a rive there after him. [12], Conflict with humans is a major staple of disturbance to population numbers for the species. It was believed to be related to strong currents existing in the waters around the island which prevented the bears from swimming to … Hybrids have also been documented within the Northern Beaufort Sea of Arctic Canada. Admiralty bears are frequently found in alpine habitat, Berners bears, almost never. Alaska’s Admiralty Island is home to an estimated 1800 brown bears, the largest concentration of bears in the world. Our Black Bear square from 7ft to 8 1/2ft+ with skulls ranging from 17 - 22 inch. The research for the study began in 1982, when bears on Admiralty were equipped with collars and tracked. The average elevation for a Berners den is 201 meters above sea level (660 feet). The density of brown bears on the northeast portion of Chichagof Island was 31% lower than that for the northern Admiralty Island study area. The ABC Islands bears will reach sexual maturity on average at the age of four to seven years, with mating occurring between May and July. [4] Fossil remains from the Last Glacial Maximum(LGM) show that there was no habitat suitable for brown bears to occupy during this time, this includes the area with which they need to inhabit. Around the year 2015, the human population of the island was 650 people. Admiralty Island is my favorite place in the spring. … Read more. [3], This brown bear retains all of the physical attributes and behavior associated with the brown bear, however, they do carry mitochondrial DNA that shows a match closer to polar bears than brown bears. This is a great day trip option from Alaskas capital city of Juneau, as a short floatplane ride will get you here in about 30 minutes. Email admiralty_friends@yahoo.com ©2008 Friends of Admiralty Island. Before or after those dates, no permit is required. ``Pack Creek is unique in many ways. They named a lake and a rive there after him. The remote wilderness area of Admiralty Island lies just 15 miles off the coast of Juneau. . His first book, Haunted Inside Passage, was published May 2017. Visitors need to attain a permit in advance (1-800-877-444-6777 or recreation.gov). Get Bob's Alaska Insider Newsletter. It's a way to raise the consciousness of people about the bears and about the incredibly rich area called Admiralty Island. The study showed that there was no recent flow of genes from Admiralty to any other islands or mainland. Admiralty Island accounts for approximately 10 percent of Alaska's population of brown bears. Brown Bear hunts are 10 days of hunting. It's a great spot. Most visitors use one of three Juneau guiding companies. Winter hibernation for these bears occurs between the months of October until April, with June at the latest. Some 1,800 brown bears inhabit its twisted and folded terrain. Box 20, Douglas, AK 99824 JACK W. LENTFER, Box 2617, Homer, AK 99603 LAVERN BEIER, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, P.O. There is a lighthouse on the island. Research under Beth Shapiro (Associate Professor) at University of California, Santa Cruz shows that around 6.5% of the X chromosomes from the ABC Islands bears have recently come from polar bears, in contrast to 1% of the ABC Islands bears' genomes containing polar bear DNA. Locally known as "Fortress of the Bear", this large island is home to over 1,600 grizzly bears, one of the highest concentrations in the world with approximately one bear per square mile! Bears find food and avoid danger because their hearing and sense of smell are superb, and their eyesight is at least as good as humans. The island also has the world's greatest concentration of nesting bald eagles. It has one of the world's highest density brown bear populations. It has one of the world's highest density brown bear populations. In addition, it is known as the "Fortress of the Bears". Admiralty island is known for brown bears, and pack creek is world renowned for viewing. Amidst the Alaskan brown bear. Areas with abundance of staples of their diet may cause attraction by multiple bears. [9] This indicates that the study of the ABC Islands bears is also important to understanding the evolution of the polar bear. Because he has so many adventures under his belt, it still surprises me that Leghorn calls at all hours, even the middle of the night, to talk about bears and Pack Creek. The mouth of Pack Creek is part of the Stan Price State Wildlife Sanctuary. Admiralty Island AK Alaska Americas animals bear environment forest island mountains NASA Earth Observatory North America ocean Pacific Pacific Ocean satellite sea United States USA. When we went salmon fishing in Alaska, we were by Admiralty Island. It has one of the world's highest density brown bear populations. In addition, it is known as the "Fortress of the Bears". Admiralty Island lives up to its original name—Kootznoowoo, or “Fortress of the Bears” in Tlingit—with the highest concentration of brown bears in the world. Youll be met by a park ranger who will lead you on a short mile-long trail to a nearby observation tower, where all the magic begins to unfold before your very eyes. Admiralty Island has a variety of other wildlife as well. Adult males on average will weigh 195–390 kg (430–860 lb), with adult females weighing on average 95–205 kg (210–450 lb). Follow. The best time for bear viewing begins when salmon are spawning, which generally commences the first week of July. Box 20, Douglas, AK 99824 Abstract: Twenty brown bears (Ursus arctos) radio-tracked on Admiralty Island … The bears have long front claws. The Pack Creek … Admiralty Island is home to the highest density of brown bears in North America: about 1,600. [6] The study used the ABC Islands population to support their hypothesis. While bears outnumber people, bald eagles outnumber bears and provide one of the more outstanding features of Admiralty Island--an estimated 2,500 reside on Admiralty Island--more than all bald eagles known to exist in the remainder of the United States. The most popular attraction on Admiralty Island is the world-renowned bear viewing at Pack Creek. The island holds an estimated 1,500 brown bears at a density of one bear per square mile. The Pack Creek bear viewing area on Admiralty Island is permit-only between June 1 and September 10, and is located up near the top of Seymour Canal. This would have been due to climate changes, which included ice ages. An international study led by Penn State University and the University of Buffalo has estimated that polar bears split from brown bears between 4 million and 5 million years ago. Admiralty Island is my favorite place in the spring. The bear passed within 10 yards, without acknowledging us, on its way to the estuary to eat sedges. There are approximately one bear per square mile - 1600 bears; 1600 square miles. Pack Creek teaches us how we fit into the world and how to interact and respect other species we share the planet with.”. From June 1 to September 10, Pack Creek is comanaged by rangers from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and U.S. Forest Service. Admiralty Island is home to one of the world's highest density of brown bears. The ABC Islands bear or Sitka brown bear (Ursus arctos sitkensis) is a subspecies or population of brown bear that resides in Southeast Alaska and is found on Admiralty Island, Baranof Island, and Chichagof Island of Alaska. It is a fitting name for a place with one of the highest densities of brown bears in North America. In addition, it is known as the "Fortress of the Bears". There are tons of places in and around Juneau to see bears and other wildlife. Brown bears and polar bears continued to remain isolated for a long period of time, theorized due to the presence of ice, before recent changes allowed polar bears and brown bears to interbreed again. Combination Brown Bear and Black Bear hunting Southeast, AK in … It’s gotten to the point that my girlfriend is a little jealous when we “bear talk”—a manly form of pillow talk. It’s often said that Admiralty, at 100 miles long and with nearly 700 miles of coastline, has the densest concentration of brown bears and bald eagles in the world. Admiralty Island, also known as the "Fortress of the Bears" is the location for some of the finest brown bear viewing in Southeast Alaska and Juneau is the perfect basecamp from which to launch your adventure of a lifetime. Press Esc to cancel. These islands have the colloquial name of the ABC Islands and are a part of the Alexander Archipelago. There are two main viewing areas. Locally known as "Fortress of the Bear", this large island is home to over 1,600 grizzly bears, one of the highest concentrations in the world with approximately one bear per square mile! This wilderness island is home to one of the highest-density brown bear populations on the planet, as well as to a large population of nesting bald eagles. An unspoiled wilderness, wild Alaskan brown bears, a great adventure. Home to the highest density of brown bears in North America, wildlife activity abounds on this rugged island. Admiralty Island is known for having the worlds densest population of Brown Bears. Sign up for our newsletter for more exciting Alaska travel content. There is a lighthouse on the island. Being that Admiralty Island is the 5th largest island in Alaska (and the 7th largest in the U.S.) at 1,684 square miles, that brown bear statistic is absolutely jaw-dropping. This video provides information on what it is like to visit. [6] Bone isotopic data shows that Irish bears had a similar terrestrial diet to late Pleistocene brown bears from Alaska, and not similar to the marine diet of polar bears. Bear viewing on Admiralty Island, part of Admiralty Island National Monument, a federally protected wilderness area administered by the Tongass National Forest, allows visitors to experience bears at home in the forests of the Kootznoowoo Wilderness. [5], A study on matrilineal polar bear hybridization in relationship to Irish lineage was conducted. A female grizzly bear exits Pelican Creek in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. For example, Berners and Yakutat area bears den and hibernate at much lower elevations than Admiralty Island bears. [4][10][11] However, fossils in this area did show a concentration of marine mammals, especially ringed seals, which are a common staple to polar bears diet. The study shows that previous estimates of polar bears only existing 600,000 years ago was wrong, and that they have in fact been around much longer – four to five million years ago. Visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game for a complete list of viewing locations. It is one of the ABC islands in Alaska. Bear Viewing on Admiralty Island / Pack Creek (Fortress of the Bears) Visit Website. Said to be somewhere around 1,600 brown bears on the island, that would make about one bear per square mile - YIKES! There are no black bears on Admiralty, home to one of the densest populations of brown bears on Earth. This is truly one of the gemstones of Southeast Alaska. Visitation is limited, allowing us to enjoy a wilderness bear viewing experience. It is 145 km (90 mi) long and 56 km (35 mi) wide with an area of 4,264.1 km (1,646.4 sq mi), making it the seventh-largest island in the United States and the 132nd largest island in the world. The true name of the island is Kootznoowoo, which in Tlingit means “fortress of the bears.” The observatory is surrounded by 95 square miles closed to bear hunting and offers a safe window into the lives of brown bears. Brown Bears Pack Creek Alaska 2017 - Duration: 12:27. Brown bears and black bears don’t tend to mix. This research analysis in particular discovered more genetic similarities between the polar bears and ABC Islands brown bears. Still, there are conflicting pressures that could put the Pack Creek bears at risk. 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