Post by grandpawrichard on Jun 24, 2004 15:38:51 GMT -7
Photo Seeking Tourist Mauled by Black Bear
By Pamela Corie
On Thursday, June 10th at approximately 5:00pm, a 39 year old Michigan man visiting in the Ear Falls area was attacked by a black bear. The victim and some of his friends had stopped along Highway 105 to videotape and photograph the bear, and in doing so, approached the bear to within 4 to 5 feet. The bear then charged the victim, knocking him to the ground, and began to maul him until witnesses scared it away.
The victim went to the Ear Falls OPP Detachment to report the attack, and was later transported by ambulance to the Red Lake Cochenour Memorial Hospital. There he was treated for numerous puncture wounds and scratches to the neck and head.
An Ear Falls OPP officer located the suspect bear, still in the area after the incident, and was forced to destroy it after it charged in an aggressive manner. Samples of the 125 pound male bear were then sent to the Northwestern Health Unit for testing of rabies.
“The initial investigation shows that the victim was way too close to the bear, within 5 feet, and that he was feeding the animal candy,” commented Dave Anderson, Head of Enforcement at the Red Lake MNR. “People have to show respect for wildlife and keep away from them. It appears that this person used poor judgement.”<br> Mr. Anderson also stated that female bears (sows) are very aggressive in attacking real or perceived threats to their cubs, and should be seen as a serious threat. However, the bear in this attack was male, “and at this point, it appears that he was territorial,” commented Mr. Anderson. “Bears will aggressively defend their territory, especially if it is a food source.”<br> The sample being tested by the NWHU won’t reveal whether the bear had rabies until the investigation is concluded, “but that would be a rare case, as very few animals have ever tested positive for rabies in the area,” commented Mr. Anderson. “I don’t think there has ever been a case of rabies in a bear reported in this area.”<br> Earlier on the day of the attack, a local bus driver was traveling Highway 105 on her route, and came upon, what she suspects, was the same bear. “I was driving my route and slowed the bus when I saw the bear ahead,” commented Jackie Desserre. “However, as I neared the animal, it didn’t run off the road into the bush, but charged the bus. I stopped, surprised by the animals aggressive behavior, and it then ran underneath the bus. When I could see it in my rear view mirror, I drove forward slowly and the bear wandered into the bush.”<br> Mrs. Desserre completed her route and then spent the day trying to contact proper authorities to deal with the bear, with no success. “I called the police and was given a number to call to report problem bears, but I was passed on to several other numbers, and no one went to deal with it. I was really worried, because I didn’t see any cubs and thought that there was something wrong with that bear, it was so aggressive. It just wasn’t normal,” commented Mrs. Desserre. “When I heard later that day that someone had been mauled in that area, I was very upset that nobody had done anything about the bear.”
The number to call for nuisance bear issues is the MNR Hotline, at 1-866-514-BEAR, and for emergency bear incidents, people can call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. “We really want to stress that people should ensure that they give wildlife space,” concluded Mr. Anderson. “One should never approach a bear for any reason, and photographs should be taken from a safe distance with a telephoto lens. Respect all bears, as you never know which one is going to be dangerous.”<br> The Northern Sun News is published by Red Lake Digital Media Inc.
www.thenorthernsun.com/html/northern_sun_news.html
By Pamela Corie
On Thursday, June 10th at approximately 5:00pm, a 39 year old Michigan man visiting in the Ear Falls area was attacked by a black bear. The victim and some of his friends had stopped along Highway 105 to videotape and photograph the bear, and in doing so, approached the bear to within 4 to 5 feet. The bear then charged the victim, knocking him to the ground, and began to maul him until witnesses scared it away.
The victim went to the Ear Falls OPP Detachment to report the attack, and was later transported by ambulance to the Red Lake Cochenour Memorial Hospital. There he was treated for numerous puncture wounds and scratches to the neck and head.
An Ear Falls OPP officer located the suspect bear, still in the area after the incident, and was forced to destroy it after it charged in an aggressive manner. Samples of the 125 pound male bear were then sent to the Northwestern Health Unit for testing of rabies.
“The initial investigation shows that the victim was way too close to the bear, within 5 feet, and that he was feeding the animal candy,” commented Dave Anderson, Head of Enforcement at the Red Lake MNR. “People have to show respect for wildlife and keep away from them. It appears that this person used poor judgement.”<br> Mr. Anderson also stated that female bears (sows) are very aggressive in attacking real or perceived threats to their cubs, and should be seen as a serious threat. However, the bear in this attack was male, “and at this point, it appears that he was territorial,” commented Mr. Anderson. “Bears will aggressively defend their territory, especially if it is a food source.”<br> The sample being tested by the NWHU won’t reveal whether the bear had rabies until the investigation is concluded, “but that would be a rare case, as very few animals have ever tested positive for rabies in the area,” commented Mr. Anderson. “I don’t think there has ever been a case of rabies in a bear reported in this area.”<br> Earlier on the day of the attack, a local bus driver was traveling Highway 105 on her route, and came upon, what she suspects, was the same bear. “I was driving my route and slowed the bus when I saw the bear ahead,” commented Jackie Desserre. “However, as I neared the animal, it didn’t run off the road into the bush, but charged the bus. I stopped, surprised by the animals aggressive behavior, and it then ran underneath the bus. When I could see it in my rear view mirror, I drove forward slowly and the bear wandered into the bush.”<br> Mrs. Desserre completed her route and then spent the day trying to contact proper authorities to deal with the bear, with no success. “I called the police and was given a number to call to report problem bears, but I was passed on to several other numbers, and no one went to deal with it. I was really worried, because I didn’t see any cubs and thought that there was something wrong with that bear, it was so aggressive. It just wasn’t normal,” commented Mrs. Desserre. “When I heard later that day that someone had been mauled in that area, I was very upset that nobody had done anything about the bear.”
The number to call for nuisance bear issues is the MNR Hotline, at 1-866-514-BEAR, and for emergency bear incidents, people can call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. “We really want to stress that people should ensure that they give wildlife space,” concluded Mr. Anderson. “One should never approach a bear for any reason, and photographs should be taken from a safe distance with a telephoto lens. Respect all bears, as you never know which one is going to be dangerous.”<br> The Northern Sun News is published by Red Lake Digital Media Inc.
www.thenorthernsun.com/html/northern_sun_news.html
