This is sad!
A baby male bear in Oregon, USA was shot and killed because he became too friendly, as he had gotten used to taking selfies and eating food that tourists left behind. Prior to this, the local police were informed about the bear posing for pictures with tourists who visited the Scoggins Valley Park, Oregon in early June 2019, reported Ladbible.
According to Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon Department of Fish’s wildlife officials, they began receiving several calls about the issue on 4th June 2019.
They had no other choice but to step in because they found out that the visitors were leaving food for the animal. Remember, guys, don’t leave food that we normally eat for wildlife because it may just kill them.
Source: twitter
Following that, the officers then received a lot of reports on 11th June 2019 saying that the bear, which weighed around 45.3kg, had attracted large crowds of people to boating area in Scoggins Valley Park. At the time, the sheriff’s department’s response was to get the bear to safety.
In their tweet, the department wrote,
“Deputies are working to get this bear cub near Hagg Lake to go back into the woods… please stay away from the area near Boat Ramp A.”
You can read the entire tweet below:
Deputies are working to get this bear cub near Hagg Lake to go back into the woods… please stay away from the area near Boat Ramp A. pic.twitter.com/tI8m5yTbyk
— WCSO Oregon (@WCSOOregon) June 13, 2019
Staying true to their word, the officers moved the bear away from the area and sent him back into the woods. However, their efforts were in vain because the bear came back the following day. But, unfortunately, the officers decided to shoot and kill the animal after it came back. Oh dear!
Apparently, they tried leaving food trails – like trail mix, sunflower seed and cracked corn – in an attempt to trap and relocate the bear, but their efforts were fruitless because the bear wasn’t afraid of the officials. The bear didn’t even run away when the officials approached him!
Wildlife biologist Kurt Licence justified their drastic decision to shoot down the bear cub by claiming that it had become so used to humans that it might one day pose a risk to someone’s safety. So, they had to shoot it for the good of all.
Source: twitter
In a statement, Licence was quoted as saying,
“This is a classic example of why we implore members of the public not to feed bears. While the individuals who put food out for this bear may have had good intentions bears should never, ever be fed.”
“It was very clear that the animal was way too habituated. With that information, it was a human health and safety risk, and we had to remove it.”
The officials elaborated that an animal that is “accustomed to eating leftovers and too comfortable with human interaction” will not be relocated because it may contribute to the increase of dangerous encounters. On top of that, they explained that feeding bears the food we eat is not ideal as it can be very dangerous and potentially cause the animal to be sick.
Source: twitter
The wildlife biologist finally said,
“It’s never a good idea to feed wild animals. They are perfectly capable of fending for themselves, and it’s always better to leave them alone and enjoy them from a safe distance.”
Even though they had a point with the potential danger that the animal may pose in the future, perhaps they could have relocated the animal to a sanctuary or some other similar place instead.
What’s your take on the officials’ decision to shoot the young bear? Fire away in the comments below!
Also read: Protected Live Animals & Slaughtered Wildlife Found Being Sold by Traders in Sarawak
