Unbearable time at Elmendorf

The lips of brown bear that was trapped and tranquilized are checked for tattoos from previous captures July 17 at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. Elmendorf AFB's military conservation agents and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game took DNA, blood and hair samples, measurements and fit the bear with a tracking collar that will allow the bear's movements to be monitored by global positioning satellites. The bear, a female around 6 years old and weighing more than 400 pounds, had been spotted near the base golf course and a barrel trap was set by base conservation agents. After trapping and collaring the bear, agents relocated the bear to a remote part of the base and monitored it from a distance until the bear woke and moved into the woods. The Department of Defense funded a study through the ADF&G to monitor the movement of brown bear on Elmendorf AFB and nearby Fort Richardson. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Keith Brown)