A sad fate for a hungry bear

[Andy]

Koivu wrote:

<quoted text>
You sir are a complete tool!(I would have added moron...but that is an insult to all morons...)

Steve is correct. People have shortterm memories, and this will be forgotten then time a bear attacks a hiker.

It's still unfortunate they couldn't tranquilize.

[Monkey]

sorry but being raised in Montana ... a fed bear is a dead bear

once they get a taste of food from other than natural sources they will remain a constant nuisance and possible threat to public safety

I like bears and hate to see this it's just all the more reason that as the 'more' intelligent species we 'bear' the burden of taking responsibilty to see to it interactions like this are avoided at all costs and habitat capable of sustaining these animals is maintained

[Tim - St Paul]

Hey PT Bull,

I am a conservative and maybe you should see a post in another topic where I said people who dont handle plastics properly should be blamed for these instances. Typical twit who tries to lay a blanket claim against everyone of specific way of thinking in politics. I guess its only ok for pieces of trash like yourself to use blanket statements then?

[Jim]

P T Bull wrote:

<quoted text>
No, you're right. Someone who threw out their garbage has bear blood on their hands. This is what happens when you have capitalism and republicans.

If it would make you happy, go move to a communist country. I'll even pay your way.

[Del Howison]

Apparently the officers can't shoot straight with tranquilizer guns but only real guns. Sure, I believe that.

So their big concern was the bear knocking over children. Please don't let them insult the public's intelligence any further with stupid statements like that.

I tried looking up the number of times a dehydrated, starving , visually impaired bear with a jar on his head had bitten anybody but (imagine this) couldn't find a single instance.

Rob should lose his job along with those officers just for being jerks or unable to do the job the public entrusted them with.

[DNR_Made_The_Int ernet]

Saw this on MSNBC...

Seems odd someone could get a picture, but in six days no one at DNR could get anyone up with a tranquilizer gun to drug it.

Lame excuse by your DNR to try and cover.

Good Job.

[Archie Anderson]

I suppose these "protectors of wild life" used 9 mm and .40 cal handguns in order to get more shooting time in. Remember the steers on the highway in S SPaul as the cattle was shot with small caliber handguns multiple times and suffered un necessarily waiting for their death?

I ain't especially liking these kind of folks that show no mercy to the dumb animal.

[Dwag]

Working Mom wrote:

How many people would the bear bit with that jar over its head? Who was chasing the bear so it went INTO the town instead of away from it? Why not just get a sharp shooter to shoot the jar off? I heard of that before. Run into traffic? I think not unless they were chasing the bear INTO traffic. The DNR seems to stand for Do Not Rescue. Too much testosterone.

Yup good idea and when the plastics fragments and blinds the bear at least or worse kills it then were are we at !!!
Bears are not protected animals they are hunted every year the money wasted on chasing this thing down was more than enough. It was shot 6blocks from a group of 1500 people at a street dance. You want to send your kids to that street dance when the thing wakes up !
It had not eaten or drank in a week it is a good possibility that it would have died when darted !!

[Yogi]

Such typical post and response vengeance.
Why is this kind of immature behaviour so prominent?
People react to the story, then people react to their reactions, and online p*ssing contests break out. What a curious way to behave. Very insecure and angry. And this kind of thing is everywhere on the internet. I'm sure someone's already coined the term "net rage".

Anyway- seems a foolish decision for many reasons, the pr reason is quite obvious in the responses. The article states they couldn't locate a tranquilizer gun. They oughta locate it, put it in its proper place, and use it next time. Instead of a story that makes the DNR look pathetic, they could have removed the jar, tagged the bear, and everyone goes "awwwww"- but in a warm fuzzy way. Instead, a sad ending mainly due to stupid human tricks. This thing was mismanaged.

[Arch Stanton]

I had no idea we had so many freelance animal behavior experts in this country.

[Owl Gore]

F the bear and the bike he rode in on.

[Labratt]

P T Bull wrote:

<quoted text>
No, you're right. Someone who threw out their garbage has bear blood on their hands. This is what happens when you have capitalism and republicans.

I had that tweak coming. I wrote that at 4:00 AM on before heading to the gym. Brain cells were on auto pilot. I was on Mt Whitney earlier in the summer, and California really lays it on thick about feeding bears, even if it's a hunk of your body.

[Larissa]

The bear could not eat, drink, or remove this jar with its paws/claws and yet posed an imminent danger? Yes, I'll sleep much better tonight knowing Rob Naplin is on the job defending me from jars. Like his colleagues nationwide, take the easy kill first rather than explore humane alternatives. Of the much more that could be said about this travesty, those that need to hear it have jars over their minds ...

[Concerned in Twin Cities]

Cheapersmokes wrote:

It is too bad that the story had to end the way it did but keep in mind the bear is not on top of the food chain like humans are!
But you sure would think that they would of had plenty of tranquilizer guns around. Maybe they need to have their whole budget reviewed line by line and all expensive conferences canceled!
I ask you how would of you felt if this story would of said, "Bear has jar removed and claws 6 innocent bystanders to death when the drugs wear off!"

Fact is, it didn't end that way so that question is pointless.

[Dutchman]

What a B... S..t shooting this bear, they could have darted him, remove the jar and let it go again.
But no, the brave hunters rather shoot him, another sad victim on their list, oh these brave men... LOSERS!!!

[Fred Hamilton]

Reading the story of the killing the bear because it had a jar on its hear makes me want to vomit.
Don't you American ever think of ANYTHING other than killing ?
A normal civilised country would dart the bear with a tranquillizer.
Boy what a bunch of sickies.
These sad individuals should be charged by an animal rights organisation and made to apologise to the world for their incompetence..
Or maybe shot too.
Fredrick Hamilton, Cyprus.

[Dutchman]

Very true Fred!
They are hunting that animal for days and nobody gets the idea to dart it... it's really pathetic.
But hey... it makes you look sooo cool when you tell your buddies you killed a bear!
Maybe it even gave the hunter a stiffie!
What a creeps...

[Dutchman]

The Dutch are very angry...
http://www.telegraaf.nl/buitenland/1592620/__...

[TC Crumpton]

I am horrified. They can track the bear for *six days* and successfully shoot it with a gun, but cannot successfully tranq it? I'm certain the bear could have posed a danger had it gotten near people, and surely being killed by a vehicle would have been a horrible ending for both the bear and whoever hit it, but if *conservation*(ahem) officials had acted sooner and with compassion this could have had a much better ending.

The entire situation would have been avoided had a human been more careful with disposal of the plastic jug. Will that person even be fined? I doubt it.

Animals are creatures that think, emote, and feel pain just like humans, and humans should be their custodians. Imagine being the bear and what the last week of your life must have been like.

Tragic.

[later]

Time to ban plastic containers.