Federal authorities have charged Christopher L. Gordon, 35 of Kaktovik, in the death of a polar bear near the North Slope community on the edge of the Arctic Ocean.
Gordon was charged under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, with one count of wasteful taking of a marine mammal.
Charging documents released by U.S. Attorney Brian Schroder in Anchorage allege that Gordon left butchered whale meat outside in the front yard of his residence for a substantial period of time, which attracted a polar bear and other animals to the yard. Gordon then allegedly shot and killed the polar bear because it was trying to eat the improperly stored whale meat, rather than in self-defense.
The charges allege that between Dec. 20, 2018 and May 22, 2019, Gordon left the polar bear carcass in his yard without salvaging any portion of the polar bear and allowing it to become covered with snow. This caused a snow removal vehicle to move the polar bear carcass and rip off one of its legs. On May 22, Gordon caused the polar bear carcass to be discarded and burned in the Kaktovik dump without using any of its parts for subsistence purposes.
If convicted, he faces up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based on the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant, authorities said.
