Homeowner shoots 725-pound brown bear on his property

JUNEAU, Alaska -- Alaska wildlife officials say a Douglas Island homeowner shot a brown bear after feeling threatened by the animal.

The Juneau Empire reports it is the first documented killing of a brown bear in Douglas Island since 1974. An Alaska wildlife official says the 725-pound brown bear was shot on May 25. The homeowner told wildlife officials that instead of running away, the bear turned around and faced him. 

The man says he was afraid the bear might charge at him and decided to shoot.

Ryan Scott, a wildlife supervisor at the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, told The Juneau Empire that it's a "rare event" to have brown bears in the area. "Over the years we've had reports of bear swimming adjacent to the island, even that's very, very rare," Scott said.

Alaska Wildlife Troopers say the man was justified in the shooting. Trooper Spokeswoman Megan Peters says the defense of life or property law allows people who feel in danger from wildlife to defend themselves and use lethal force.

Officials suspect the bear's behavior might have been due to breeding season.

"Generally speaking, brown bear are pretty shy unless there are some other issues with food conditioning and things like that," Scott told The Juneau Empire. "It comes down to how do you judge a person's feeling that they are in imminent danger. That can be a difficult thing to assess. It can be a really charged moment."