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Ordinarily, something like this wouldn't be an appropriate subject for the political boards, but this incident raises a question which we ought to consider: At what point does supporting endangered species become a danger to human beings and what should we do about it?
This story reminds me of an article I read a few month ago about how Grizzlies are becoming so numerous that they're reclaiming their natural habitat...the plains. I always thought Grizzlies were mountain animals, but apparently that isn't so. For some reason in the past, they were pushed into the mountains, but are now coming back.
Of course, the problem is that there are people on the plains. This story, for instance, occurred around Great Falls, MT which is a good ways from the Rockies. In previous incidents, tagged bears have been found 150 miles out onto the plains and, in one instance, a Grizzlie was located within 100 yards of a school full of children.
Are we willing to risk our children to preserve Grizzly bears?
WARNING: If you can't stand the sight of dead sheep, don't click on this link.
Ordinarily, something like this wouldn't be an appropriate subject for the political boards, but this incident raises a question which we ought to consider: At what point does supporting endangered species become a danger to human beings and what should we do about it?
This story reminds me of an article I read a few month ago about how Grizzlies are becoming so numerous that they're reclaiming their natural habitat...the plains. I always thought Grizzlies were mountain animals, but apparently that isn't so. For some reason in the past, they were pushed into the mountains, but are now coming back.
Of course, the problem is that there are people on the plains. This story, for instance, occurred around Great Falls, MT which is a good ways from the Rockies. In previous incidents, tagged bears have been found 150 miles out onto the plains and, in one instance, a Grizzlie was located within 100 yards of a school full of children.
Are we willing to risk our children to preserve Grizzly bears?
WARNING: If you can't stand the sight of dead sheep, don't click on this link.
Do people expect bears to behave like Winnie the Pooh?
That's a wild animal, doing what a wild animal does. You say "for some reason they were pushed into the mountains, but now they're back"? Well, development probably pushed them into the mountains, lack of food source also likely pushed them into the mountains, but today they are a lot more comfortable around humans and they aren't afraid to test the boundaries. Maybe their food source in the mountains has disappeared.
"Serial slaughter", funny how they like to attribute human behavior "serial killer" to a grizzly bear. Grizzlies are dangerous animals, not cute cuddly characters who want to hug us.
Better she killed 70 sheep than 70 campers.
She and her cub were relocated to B.C., it is good they didn't kill her.
They did the right thing by relocating the bear and it's cub, they were under weight and as stated she was the youngest bear with a cub they had ever seen and both were in poor condition. This stuff is dealt with case by case and it's not common.
Odd in that the bear was a young sow. At only four she was not fully mature. Was unable to find a reference as to her weight, but just guessing that she may have been only around 250 pounds. A big middle aged male grizzly can be way more than double that weight, and a mature male grizzly on a rampage can be a very fearsome beast.
Grizzlys most surely are not just animals of the mountains and forests, they are right at home on the plains and other open spaces. They are commonly found on the open tundra of the far north of the continent. In historical times they were common on the plains of America. The plains Indians knew them well, and there are many tales of confrontations with grizzlys from early travelers, explorers, and trappers. Lewis and Clark met them and quickly learned that they were a very different animal than the much smaller far less aggressive black bears of the East that they were familiar with.
Any predator that becomes a threat must be removed, there really is no other option. If a bear, cougar, or wolf kills or attacks livestock or pets, or becomes a danger to humans the animal must be taken out. That young sow was very fortunate in being relocated and not being shot. Relocation does pose other problems however, and sometimes does not work. Some animals will return to the same area and resume their bad habits. If this occurs the animal must then be killed.
"Odd in that the bear was a young sow. At only four she was not fully mature. Was unable to find a reference as to her weight, but just guessing that she may have been only around 250 pounds. "
It can be difficult to tell what a predator thinks. For all we know, it might have been enraged by having a toothache.
Do people expect bears to behave like Winnie the Pooh?
In a word, YES. My brother and I visited Yellowstone in 1963 and the visitors to the park were acting exactly like bears were safe playthings. The human mind is lazy and prone to leakage from concept to concept. Back in those days, Yogi Bear was popular, teddy bears were popular, and Smokey The Bear was portrayed as friendly and wanting to help humans. Television went on with "Gentle Ben".
In the Bambi's mother thread, it was obvious to me that there was contamination between the reality of deer and the fantasy provided by cartoons and television and other media. Deer can be beautiful to watch. They can also be dangerous animals. IIRC, there is a youtube video of a "tame" buck, attempting to mount a teenage girl.
There are huge amounts of money to be made by catering to the fantasy nature market. Gentle eco-friendly films are perfect for mothers to bring children to. They are "safe," won't give the kids nightmares or cause them to ask questions the parents really don't want to discuss. At the same time, such fare imprints young minds with ideas that simply are not true. With fortunes at stake, you won't find Disney or schlock-miesters changing their programming voluntarily.
In the past, when we lived closer to agriculture and the land, such fantasy stories were counterbalanced by seeing a cow give birth, a barn cat get stepped on, or a chicken killed for Sunday dinner. We tread on dangerous ground when we lie to entire generations about the reality of life.
Do people expect bears to behave like Winnie the Pooh?
In a word, YES. My brother and I visited Yellowstone in 1963 and the visitors to the park were acting exactly like bears were safe playthings. The human mind is lazy and prone to leakage from concept to concept. Back in those days, Yogi Bear was popular, teddy bears were popular, and Smokey The Bear was portrayed as friendly and wanting to help humans. Television went on with "Gentle Ben".
I call it the Timothy Treadwell Syndrome.
I have absolutely no problem with letting people who think bears are cute cuddly critters go up and pet a bear. While I call it "natural selection," the bear calls it their next meal.
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Grizzly Bear kills 70 sheep in Montana
