A black bear is seen at the Alaska State Capitol at 4:12 p.m. Thursday in this photo taken by Megan Wallace and provided to the Empire. The bear wandered downtown Juneau at the start of the evening rush hour, lingering outside Dimond Courthouse, the Capitol, Key Bank and a bear statue. (Megan Wallace | Courtesy photo)

A black bear is seen at the Alaska State Capitol at 4:12 p.m. Thursday in this photo taken by Megan Wallace and provided to the Empire. The bear wandered downtown Juneau at the start of the evening rush hour, lingering outside Dimond Courthouse, the Capitol, Key Bank and a bear statue. (Megan Wallace | Courtesy photo)

Black bear visits Capitol, courthouse

A black bear caused a brief stir in downtown Juneau on Thursday afternoon after it wandered onto the front steps of the Alaska Capitol, meandered back and forth across Main Street, and even stopped in front of the Windfall Fisherman statue.

No one was injured by the bear, which may be one of several black bears that have frequented downtown streets this summer.

A security guard who picked up the phone at the Capitol declined to comment.

State employees and other Juneau residents discussed the bear on social media as it gamboled through the downtown core.

• Contact reporter James Brooks at jbrooks@juneauempire.com or 523-2258.

Previous
Aliens meet ‘Our Town’ in Perseverance Theatre’s upcoming Young Company production
Next
‘Digital nomad’ building community work space downtown

More in Home

Pauline Plumb and Penny Saddler carry vegetables grown by fellow gardeners during the 29th Annual Juneau Community Garden Harvest Fair on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Dunleavy says he plans to reestablish state Department of Agriculture via executive order

Demoted to division status after statehood, governor says revival will improve food production policies.

The U.S. Capitol in Washington, Dec. 18, 2024. The Senate passed bipartisan legislation early Saturday that would give full Social Security benefits to a group of public sector retirees who currently receive them at a reduced level, sending the bill to President JOE Biden. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times)
Congress OKs full Social Security benefits for public sector retirees, including 15,000 in Alaska

Biden expected to sign bill that eliminates government pension offset from benefits.

Alan Steffert, a project engineer for the City and Borough of Juneau, explains alternatives considered when assessing infrastructure improvements including utilities upgrades during a meeting to discuss a proposed fee increase Thursday night at Thunder Mountain Middle School. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Hike of more than 60% in water rates, 80% in sewer over next five years proposed by CBJ utilities

Increase needed due to rates not keeping up with inflation, officials say; Assembly will need to OK plan.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy and President-elect Donald Trump (left) will be working as chief executives at opposite ends of the U.S. next year, a face constructed of rocks on Sandy Beach is seen among snow in November (center), and KINY’s prize patrol van (right) flashes its colors outside the station this summer. (Photos, from left to right, from Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s office, Elliot Welch via Juneau Parks and Recreation, and Mark Sabbatini via the Juneau Empire)
Juneau’s 10 strangest news stories of 2024

Governor’s captivating journey to nowhere, woman who won’t leave the beach among those making waves.

The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears boys basketball team pose in the bleachers at Durango High School in Las Vegas during the Tarkanian Classic Tournament. (Photo courtesy JDHS Crimson Bears)
JDHS boys earn win at Tarkanian Classic tournament

Crimson Bears find defensive “science” in crucial second half swing.

The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears girls basketball team pose at the Ceasar’s Palace fountain in Las Vegas during the Tarkanian Classic Tournament. (Photo courtesy JDHS Crimson Bears)
Crimson Bears girls win second in a row at Tarkanian Classic

JDHS continues to impress at prestigious Las Vegas tournament.

Bartlett Regional Hospital, along with Juneau’s police and fire departments, are partnering in a new behavioral health crisis response program announced Thursday. (Bartlett Regional Hospital photo)
New local behavioral health crisis program using hospital, fire and police officials debuts

Mobile crisis team of responders forms five months after hospital ends crisis stabilization program.

The cover image from Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s “Alaska Priorities For Federal Transition” report. (Office of the Governor)
Loch Ness ducks or ‘vampire grebes’? Alaska governor report for Trump comes with AI hallucinations

A ChatGPT-generated image of Alaska included some strange-looking waterfowl.

Rep. Alyse Galvin, an Anchorage independent, takes a photo with Meadow Stanley, a senior at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé on April before they took part in a march protesting education funding from the school to the Alaska State Capitol. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Drops in Alaska’s student test scores and education funding follow similar paths past 20 years, study claims

Fourth graders now are a year behind their 2007 peers in reading and math, author of report asserts.

Most Read