Officials Confirm Euthanization of Black Bear at JBER Hospital

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Officials confirm that a black bear which made three separate entries into the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Hospital on Monday has been euthanized. The bear accessed the hospital through the automatic doors, first being escorted out and later exiting on its own accord during the early morning hours.

Later that night, around 9:32 p.m., the bear breached the hospital’s doors again, likely in search of food after previously finding a bucket of Halloween candy. An Alaska Department of Fish & Game representative indicated that public safety concerns led to the bear’s euthanization. The animal was tranquilized and subsequently euthanized outside the hospital. This incident marks the 13th black bear euthanized by the state this year, with 12 of those occurring on JBER property. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported among hospital patients or staff during this occurrence. The community is urged to report any bear sightings in populated areas.