Afraid of crime in the big city? That is childs play. Wait until you see the dangers that await you in our city.

Hillside resident Scott Gorder has seen so many bears in his yard in recent years that he's nervous about leaving his house come summer.

"It's getting absolutely ridiculous," said Gorder, 45, who lives with his family near Rabbit Creek. "My daughter was walking to the shed one day, and a (black) bear stepped out behind her. I ended up sticking a pitchfork in its butt."

A lifelong resident of the city, Gorder knows that a black bear is no match for an armed man -- even if the man is only armed with a pitchfork. Black bears are fairly easily intimidated. Grizzly bears, on the other hand, are not.

Wildlife biologists would not recommend sticking a grizzly with a pitchfork. The animal would be just as likely to respond by attacking as by fleeing.

Fortunately, Gorder said, the bears that have invaded his property are primarily black bears, though he wouldn't be surprised to see a grizzly. He's found grizzly tracks and what little was left of moose calves they caught.

Since he bought his home in 1990 he's seen the number of bears increase, he said.

"I grew up in town," Gorder said, "but as kids we camped everywhere (on the city's edge). I never saw a bear."

I would agree with that assessment. I also grew up in Anchorage. I never saw a bear close to town, but I knew that if you ventured even ten miles into the backcountry you would be right in the middle of bear country. So when we went it was always with the understanding that you were in a potentially dangerous environment and you acted accordingly.

But things have changed.

If you check out this interactive map you can see for yourself just how close the bears are to us and how many there are these days. And those are just the ones dumb enough to get collared! (By the way, bears 207 and 208 are apparently the ones that like my neighborhood.)

All of this recent attention to bears in Anchorage is due to this unfortunate brown bear attack on a fourteen year old girl participating in a bike race. This attack so close to our city has spooked even long time residents.

Personally I am keeping my kids off of the trails for the time being. We had a late summer and perhaps that is having some impact on the bears behavior. Who knows, but it is definitely better to be safe then sorry.