The Revenue Cutter Bear arrived in Unalaska and offloaded 16 reindeer from Siberia on  September 21st, 1891.

The reindeer were brought to Unalaska as part of an experiment in animal husbandry.

The project was prompted by the depletion of whales and seals in the area from commercial harvesting.  These marine mammals were the traditional foods of the natives on the island, who were facing starvation.

This initial reindeer project was doomed to fail as all the reindeer perished. Similar projects in other parts of Alaska would, however, be ultimately successful.

  1891, 21, Alaska, bear, cutter, food, history, husbandry, natives, reindeer, september, unalaska