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As Alaskan bears gain weight for the winter, they're looking for food and running into humans

WBUR
Published September 23, 2026 at 10:10 AM MDT
This image provided by the National Park Service shows bear 32 Chunk at Katmai National Park in Alaska on Sept. 19, 2024. (E. Johnston/National Park Service via AP)
E. Johnston/National Park Service via AP
This image provided by the National Park Service shows bear 32 Chunk at Katmai National Park in Alaska on Sept. 19, 2024. (E. Johnston/National Park Service via AP)

‘Tis the season of fat bears chunking up before a long winter of hibernation. But as they bulk up, they’re also increasingly varying their diet by venturing into human spaces and eating trash. In Juneau this summer, a dozen bears were feasting on a landfill in the city. Another bear crawled into a hotel via the window.

Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd is in Juneau at member station KTOO and speaks with Alix Soliman, climate and environment reporter with KTOO.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

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