Types
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Common mammals in Alaska that are rare elsewhere in the United States include the lynx, pine marten, wolverine, grizzly bear, peregrine falcon, loon and bald eagle.
Considerations
The possibility of encountering a bear in Alaska is very real for hikers and backpackers. You should not approach bears and you should make every effort to avoid surprising them. If you do meet up with a bear on a trail, never run from it. Running stimulates the bear's predatory instincts, causing it to chase you.
Bird Watching
Alaska offers a program known as "Wings Over Alaska" designed to promote bird watching of the state's 471 documented species. The state issues certificates based on the number of birds you identify, with the highest level's certificate signed Alaska's governor.
Warning
The moose is a large hoofed mammal capable of aggressive behavior toward humans and dogs. A moose preparing to charge you will have its ears in a laid-back posture and the hair on its hump will rise as it begins to walk towards you.
History
The spectacled cormorant was an Alaskan seabird first described by the naturalist named George Stellar in 1741. The large and almost flightless species was extinct by 1850 because of hunting for its meat and its plumage.