Man in bear costume harasses mother bear, 2 cubs in Alaska

[jpak]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/man-in-bear-costumes-harasses-bears-in-alaska/2015/08/13/6c73acbc-421f-11e5-9f53-d1e3ddfd0cda_story.html

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Authorities want to talk to a man who donned a fairly realistic bear costume — head and all — and wore it when harassing a mother bear and two cubs trying to feed on pink salmon in an Alaska river.

The incident happened Monday on the Chilkoot River near Haines, said Alaska Fish and Game Assistant Area Management Biologist Mark Sogge.

It wasn’t immediately known what the man was trying to accomplish.

A crowd had gathered at a weir, used to count fish, because the sow and two cubs have frequently showed up there to feed during the salmon run.

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[Auggie]

1. Not cool! And about as stupid as you can get!

Next time I hope he gets his ass kicked by the bear!

Douchebag!

[SusanaMontana41]

8. A bear will get him. Just a matter of time. n/t

[BlueJazz]

2. One poster said >>

"Disappointed at being refused a place on the GOP debate stage by Fox, and frustrated by all the attention Trump was given for acts of remarkable idiocy, one presidential candidate has brought new creativity to the struggle."

[Laffy Kat]

3. Why do I have a feeling this will eventually end with a

Darwin Award.

[SusanaMontana41]

4. No kidding. Ask Tim Treadwell.

Oh, wait, you can't …

A similar event occurred when I lived in Montana. We were leaving Glacier Park when traffic stopped because two grizzly cubs were playing in the road. An idiot tourist left his car to snap some photos. We watched and remarked, "Where does he think Mama Bear is?"

[sarge43]

6. One can but hope. n/t

[MH1]

10. Not really, unless you want the bear and cubs dead too.

Normally if a bear attacks a human, it will be tracked, captured and killed.

One time that didn't happen, because it was thought the bear wasn't at fault; but later that bear killed another person and there was hell to pay for the bear not being put down the first time.

Personally I am on the side of the bears. Unless they are hunting humans, I don't think they should be killed for being bears. But the political realities of our civilization don't support that.

[sarge43]

11. Yes I know. I have black bears wandering thru my back yard

I know the simple rule of leave them alone and they'll leave you alone. I know there far too many people who "Kill 'em all; let God sort 'em out".

Finally, I know I don't use the sarcasm icon enough.

[MH1]

12. Fair enough.

But I'm not being sarcastic at all in saying, if this person's life does end with a Darwin award, as it probably will based on the op, I hope the incident does not involve an animal. Animals should not be punished for a human's stupidity. (Sounds like you agree. )

[sarge43]

14. With all my heart, I agree.

I've always thought a line from Ben Hur applied. "Centurion, this was his land before it was ours."

We and the critters have a simple agreement -- stay out of my house and I stay out of yours.

[The Second Stone]

5. He failed in his magic trick to disappear and turn into

bear shit.

[sarge43]

7. I wonder if he knows that for short distances bears can run faster than a horse

They sure in the hell can outrun a idiot in a bear suit.

[Enrique]

9. "It wasn’t immediately known what the man was trying to accomplish."

such a dry statement that I wonder if the reporter is of British origin.

[3catwoman3]

13. If he was aiming to make himself look like a complete idiot, then...

...his goal has been reached.

If his idiocy results in injury and the bear is put down, I will be really pissed. There was a mother bear with 2 cubs put down earlier this week because she killed an experienced hiker who decided it was a good idea to go hiking alone. I hate it when an animals are killed because a stupid human goaded them into acting in a completely natural manner. We should stay the hell out of their habitat.

[Kaleva]

15. Maybe he wanted to become bear shit?

As far as I know, that's not a desire for most humans but he might be one of the very few.

[stevenleser]

16. If someone wants to die I can think of much quicker and less painful ways.

Just sayin.

[tanyev]

17. Wow. That is really, really stupid.

Wonder who he's supporting in the GOP primary?

[Liberal_in_LA]

18. 'this is not the first time we’ve encountered a man in a bear suit,'

[Brother Buzz]

19. This fine gentleman is NOT from Florida....

SO STOP SAYING THAT!