I had a dream of the bear falling from the tree and woke up to emails saying that the bear has been tranquilized and then euthanized. I am not surprised. It has been many years that I have heard stories of Fish and Game killing instead of trying to rescue. We live in small valley surrounded by wilderness. It pained me but did not surprise me that no one knew bear behavior. For hours children and people were allowed to frolic and look under the tree. This I thought was extremely dangerous. Although, this bear was docile all wild animals can be unpredictable under stress.
They said they wait for the bear to leave by itself but then they gathered on the street with loaded guns, stern body language, and cars running. Of course he was frightened to come down. He did not have a chance.
They say one of the main problems was that they did not have a holding place for the bear while the tranquilizer wore out of its system. Could not Fish and Game come up with a pen in the backcountry some where?
Their mission statement, “”The Mission of the Department of Fish and Game is to manage California’s diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public.”
I dont think they did a very good job managing this situation. As humans encroach into the wilderness this situation will repeat itself more often. Why doesn’t Fish and Game have an Action action plan? To me it seems so basic. To me it seems like they should have had one implemented for years.
I don’t believe this bear knew how to get back to the back country. I believe he was humanized. I can not say that I am positive he would have made it out on his own. Even though we all visualized him going back, he was thirsty. I couldnt promise him water. I dont know where the streams are running in that direction. I understand why they didn’t want him roaming the neighborhood again. What I don’t understand is their lack of resources and an efficient plan. I don’t believe Fish and Game ever had it in their mind to save this bear. Because if they did, they would made it happened and transported him to holding facility. Or tagged him so hunters would be warned of the tranquilizer in his system.
It is injustice to wildlife everywhere.
More to come when my thoughts are organized.
The bear’s death warrant? Public liability.
“After court decisions in Arizona eroded the state’s longstanding immunity from being sued over the actions of wild animals, lawyers began obtaining large verdicts from public managers over humans’ harmful encounters with wildlife — with the result that managers began moving to a “when in doubt, take it doubt” policy of slaughtering wild creatures that might pose even a remote threat to people. The continuing results of the policy came in for some public discussion after a bear wandered into a residential area near Rumsey Park in Payson, Ariz. and was euthanized by Arizona Game and Fish personnel.
Ranger Cathe Descheemaker said that the two Game and Fish officials were no doubt following procedure, and that bears are routinely destroyed ever since the agency was sued when a bear mauled a 16-year-old girl in 1996 on Mt. Lemmon near Tucson.”
“Since Game and Fish lost that lawsuit, they do not relocate any bears,” she said. “The fact that bear was in town was its death warrant.”
Source: Online article by Walter Olson on October 7, 2005
http://www.ojaipost.com/2009/10/the_bears_death_warrant_public_1.shtml