Black Bears

[Brenda]

I'm not sure where this bear was released after it was picked up the first time in Waterloo and tagged in Cortland. It seems as if he was just passing through and happened into a residential neighborhood and of course, people freaked out. You should have heard the news coverage. I heard that mail delivery was even cancelled in that area that day (Thurs.). I'm afraid that this is going to become a more common occurrence with populations increasing. Absolutely, if a bear returns to the same area and causes damage something has to be done, but just because a tagged bear stumbles into a populated area again it doesn't get to live? They had to shoot it to tranquilize it when it was up in a tree (after a huge, day long "man hunt"). There are plenty of places in the country where people and bears manage to coexist, but we're just not used to them here. People here are going to have to learn to make residential neighborhoods less appealing, as you said backpacker, or the bears are the ones who will suffer.

[Matt]

Some national parks have installed bear-proof boxes at popular camping sights. Perhaps some counties/parks should do the same.

Fines for feeding wildlife is also a possibility.

[backpacker]

In Philmount NM,
The 2400 plus people are mostly scouts, (venture scouts and boy scouts). They also do a lot of outdoor training thus the encounters with bears happens on a daily bases. When I was there a young person left their backpack with food in it lying on the ground. A bear tore the pack apart to get the food, thus they set a trap that night to catch the bear. They had to shut down 1/2 the camp sight while they had the trap set. It took two nights to catch the bear, it was released, I don't know if it returned or not. The people and bears coexist with little problems due to good management and tough guide lines.
The bear proof boxes and fines are good ideas, the best is to educate the people.

[Brenda]

I've been going through the news coverage from last night, and it sounds as if this bear could have stayed at the wildlife rehab center http://kindredkingdoms.com/ indefinitely. This was the 51st bear that they had taken in over the years. The owner indicated that she was devastated by the outcome. I'm now wondering if the bear had a bad reaction to the sedative, because the body is being sent to the pathology lab in Delmar (unless that's standard practice when the DEC puts an animal down--I don't think so). In reading the comments on the coverage/decision from viewers on the Channel 9 website, it appears that there are a whole lot of people who are pretty upset about this, so I'm sure we'll hear more.

[backpacker]

I'm now wondering if the bear had a bad reaction to the sedative, because the body is being sent to the pathology lab in Delmar (unless that's standard practice when the DEC puts an animal down--I don't think so). In reading the comments on the coverage/decision from viewers on the Channel 9 website, it appears that there are a whole lot of people who are pretty upset about this, so I'm sure we'll hear more.

I agree it will be interesting to see the outcome of this event. I know it's not the DEC's standard pratice to put down any animal, if fact it's just the opposite.

[Brenda]

You're right, it's not standard practice to put an animal down, though they may have been a bit hasty with this bear (unless there was a medical problem). I was questioning if they typically send a bear that has been put down to the pathology lab. During the years that I worked out of the Region 7 office, I was never there when a dead bear was brought in (lots of other critters). I know that if an animal was suspected to have rabies, etc., the carcass or a portion thereof is sent off to the lab.

[Brenda]

Now this is interesting. The entire story has been removed from the Channel 9 website. The stories that were listed before and after it are still there.

[backpacker]

now it sounds like the DEC is trying to hide something?