Alaska wildlife agents have been given the green light to resume shooting black and brown bears, including from helicopters, as part of a controversial programme aimed at restoring a vital caribou herd. A judge ruled on Wednesday against two conservation groups, the Alaska Wildlife Alliance and Center for Biological Diversity, who sought to halt the cull. Superior Court Judge Adolf Zeman stated the groups failed to demonstrate the state lacked a reasonable basis for the plan. The timing is critical, with the Mulchatna caribou herd in southwest Alaska soon entering its calving season. Newborn calves are particularly vulnerable to predation by bears and wolves, making the state's intervention, they argue, essential for recovery. This herd, once a crucial food source for Alaska Native hunters, providing up to 4,770 caribou annually, peaked at around 190,000 animals. However, its population plummeted from the late 1990s, reaching approximately 13,000 by 2019.…