Alaska Faces Legal Showdown Over Controversial Helicopter Bear Culling Plan to Save Mulchatna Caribou

Conservation groups seek an injunction to stop Alaska's bear culling program. Learn how the fight to save caribou is sparking a legal battle over predator control.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 29, 2026, 4:23 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from EcoNews

A High Stakes Battle in the Alaskan Wilderness

Alaska’s wildlife management strategy is under intense judicial scrutiny as conservation groups move to block the resumption of helicopter-based bear culling in the state’s southwest. The emergency motion, filed on April 6, 2026, seeks a preliminary injunction to prevent the Department of Fish and Game from launching new lethal operations scheduled for May. At the heart of the dispute is the Mulchatna Caribou Herd Predation Management Area, a massive expanse covering nearly 40,000 square miles where state officials have authorized the removal of brown and black bears to protect vulnerable caribou calves.

The Collapse of a Cultural Keystone

The Mulchatna caribou herd has long served as a vital food source for dozens of rural and Indigenous communities, making its survival a matter of food security rather than just environmental preservation. From a peak population of approximately 190,000 animals in the late 1990s, the herd plummeted to just 13,000 by 2019, prompting a total ban on hunting that has remained in place since 2021. State biologists are currently working toward an intensive management objective of 30,000 to 80,000 animals, a benchmark they claim cannot be reached without aggressive intervention against local predators.

Mixed Results from Predator Control Efforts

Initial data from the Department of Fish and Game suggests that targeted predator control may be yielding some localized benefits for caribou recruitment. A Fall 2025 update noted that the western subgroup of the herd reached a ratio of 54 calves per 100 cows, the highest level recorded since 1999. However, conservationists point out that these ratios have not yet translated into significant overall herd growth, with the population remains stagnant between 12,500 and 13,450 animals. This discrepancy has led to accusations that the state is relying on a "lethal shortcut" that fails to address the underlying causes of the herd's decline.