Mama grizzly caught, faces death

[Enrique]

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66S4UC20100729?type=domesticNews

Idaho (Reuters) - Montana wildlife officials have trapped an adult female grizzly they believe killed one camper and injured two others in predawn attacks near Yellowstone National Park on Wednesday.

Two of the grizzly mother's three cubs also have been trapped, they said.

The bear's DNA was being tested to see if it matches samples taken from the victims, and officials should be able to verify soon if they have the killer grizzly, said Ron Aasheim, spokesman for the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department.

The killer bear is almost certain to be destroyed once positively identified, but the fate of the cubs was unclear. Aasheim said the cubs will likely never be allowed to roam free.

(...)

[NightWatcher]

1. she didnt rob a bank, she acted like a bear....she IS a bear

what about the fault for the idiots who wandered onto her turf.

[DJ13]

2. +1

They were in HER territory.

[sui generis]

7. well she now has "learned" that humans are tasty with a little salsa

and a side of protein bars.

Sadly for the bear, I completely agree with you. These bears kind of cogitated that if there wasn't any human food available, then HUMANS would make an adequate substitute. Meat is meat.

[meegbear]

8. +1

[Bryn]

18. +1000

sad for the bear :(

[proteus_lives]

23. Yeah, that camper deserved to die.

For daring to be at a campground.

:puke:

[NightWatcher]

34. I've NEVER heard of a bear attacking when a camper didnt (3 dumbass moves)

1. have food in their tent......dumbasses
2. sneak up and surprise a bear......dumbasses
3. get too close to a bear cub and invoke mama's rage.....dumbasses

Learn how to be a responsible camper and follow nature's rules before heading out to bear territory......dumbasses

[uppityperson]

39. I have and this time the campers were following the rules.

[NightWatcher]

46. fuck it then, lets kill the animals, poison the water and air, pave the sumbitch and all vote repuke

Pave the forest after you cut down all the trees, if the bears arent smart enough to walk upright and get jobs like the rest of them, fuck em, we're top o' the food chain and we rule...

We need to defend the wilderness and act like damn Progressives and not good little politicians. I'm *this* close to being pushed out of the Dems and into the Hayduke Party

[uppityperson]

47. Beware, you are going to sprain something taking those wild leaps

If my knowing of someone who was attacked unprovoked and these people having followed the rules yet still got hurt by a nasty bear drives you out of the the Democratic party, you have more serious issues than can be dealt with on DU.

The wilderness isn't a romantic place. There are crazy ass bears like there are crazy ass freepers. A predator bear needs to be gotten rid of.

[dionysus]

139. No shit!!! coocoo..coocoo..

[Cetacea]

142. Rules

[JanMichael]

150. Did you just write "a predator bear" on purpose?

By god, that's funny!

OK--- shutting up now, so you and the other thousand Bear Experts of DU can discuss this some more.

[uppityperson]

153. Yes, I got it from ursine experts. Bears who prey on humans, kill/eat them like this one did.

I am glad I amuse you but I don't see eating people as very funny.

[JanMichael]

154. Ursine experts! Oh my...that sounds downright important.

No, I don't think getting eaten/mauled/chewed up as "funny."

I do see that fate as pretty much inevitable for an unlucky few campers though. Sorry. Funny...you worry about what the bears will learn, but don't seem to be too concerned that humans haven't seemed to learn jack about living with other creatures...including among ourselves.

[uppityperson]

155. You should hear me when confronted with "sport" bear hunters.

You have no idea what I am concerned about, what I have done, who I am, or how I live.

Do you seriously believe there are not experts on bears, or sharks, or monkeys, or carrots, or sea cucumbers? Huh.

[uppityperson]

161. "Bear experts will spend a month compiling information to determine the sequence of events and.."

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_38118e0a-9c5f-11df-8306-001cc4c002e0.html
{div class="excerpt"] Bear experts will spend a month compiling information to determine the sequence of events and possible causes that led to the fatal mauling of a Michigan man at Soda Butte Campground early Wednesday, but they all agree on one thing already – the unusual nature of the event.

“These types of incidents, where we appear to have an unnaturally aggressive bear, are very, very unusual,” said Chris Servheen, grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Missoula. “We can’t explain it at this point. As we reconstruct it, maybe we’ll understand better.”

Kevin Ronald Kammer, 48, was killed in the attack, his body partially consumed. Two other campers in the campground were injured in separate attacks the same morning beginning at around 1:30. Officials said no food appeared to have been left out to attract the bears.

After the attacks, wildlife officials set traps in the campground. A sow grizzly was captured at 6 p.m. Wednesday in a culvert trap set up where Kammer was killed. Two of her three cubs were trapped overnight. The other followed a day later.

“We feel fortunate that the bear did come back,” Servheen said. “In a situation where you have a predatory bear, they will often come back to the kill site.”

[proteus_lives]

57. Ouch! Does stretching that much hurt?

:eyes:

[joeybee12]

78. Does being wrong all the time hurt much?

Honestly, your thrist for killing animals seems to drive everything you post.

[proteus_lives]

80. You're funny.

Establish a series of links that backs this up:

"Honestly, your thrist for killing animals seems to drive everything you post."

BTW, you might need to spell thirst correctly when you use the google function.

Also, answer this fact, multiple attacks on humans. Hmmm, you seem to be ignoring that inconvenience.

[uppityperson]

111. You thrister you! I've seen how you thrist!

:rofl:

[proteus_lives]

121. I thrist for your blood!

:rofl:

[roguevalley]

58. I live in the middle of grizzly country here. I passed a yearling on

the road the other day digging into the dirt. Almost all the time the people attacked were in the wrong place at the wrong time doing something stupid. Camping in bear country will sometimes get you killed. If it doesn't, it raises the likelihood that you will cross paths with one and increase the possibilities. I HATE IT when a bear has to die because of people being where they are or doing something stupid. They didn't do what was right. They were in the habitat and when a mom is with her kids, they will do what they believe they need to do. The right thing would have been to stay out of bear territory or take your lumps. I am sorry for these people, truly, as someone who lives with bear danger all the time. My best friend had a grizzly sow and cub asleep under her deck all winter and didn't know it until they woke up and walked out below where she was standing. That is what bear country is like. I feel for the bear. She was being a mother and now she has to pay the price for other people's decisions.

We have trails up here where three and four bears walk in packs and STILL a-holes ride and walk on them and get attacked.

[uppityperson]

64. These were multiple unprovoked attacks.

I agree that most attacks are people in the wrong place at the wrong time doing something stupid. However, this doesn't seem to be one of those cases.

"They were in the habitat and when a mom is with her kids, they will do what they believe they need to do." Walking through a campground and attacking multiple tents does not fall in what "they will do what they believe they need to" category. As with people, there are nasty bears. I feel for the people in the campground and especially for the cubs that were taught unfairly that this is ok behavior.

And, fwiw, I lived in the bush in SE as well as other places around the state. SE bush was in the middle of a 30 yr old clearcut which was overgrown with blueberries, alders and many many many bears.

[liquid diamond]

171. Stupidity does not warrant being mauled to death by a bear.

They need to put this thing to sleep. Oh, wait. It's been done. Poo poo for you and others defending this 400 pound monster.

[joeybee12]

73. No all you heard was that they kept their food stored correctly...

...nothing else, not one damn fact more.

[uppityperson]

110. Whoah! A Mind Reader! Even MrUP doesn't know everything I heard. Fail.

[proteus_lives]

56. They were being responsible, according to the sources.

Multiple, unprovoked attacks. The animal needs to be put down.

[joeybee12]

74. Wrong again! How do you do it! They stored their food correctly...

...we have no fucking clue what else they might have done or did not do...your bloodlust is very high, isn't it.

[proteus_lives]

79. What blood-lust?

Seriously, how does recognizing the need to destroy a dangerous animal (which has attacked humans multiple times) "blood-lust"?

Seriously, what's the logic behind your position?

[BeHereNow]

105. Amen NightWatcher!

Dumbasses have no business camping near bears.
Bears will be bears, and even dumb asses should know that much
before they go trekking off for a nature adventure.

BHN

[sabrina 1]

51. No, the camper did not deserve to die. But an animal

protecting babies will kill if they feel threatened. That is how they survive. Unlike humans, they cannot think and reason regarding who or what is a threat.

We have killed over one million human beings, not even for the noble reason of protecting anyone, we did it for oil. And, unlike a wild animal, we are capable of reason. Many Americans supported that slaughter, and still do in both of our wars.

No one is being put to death for our invasion of other people's lands and the killing of their citizens.

But a bear kills one person to protect her cubs and you believe she deserves to die.

[uppityperson]

54. HOW was she "protecting her cubs"? She was wandering through a campground teaching them to bite tent

tents. She was teaching them to attack people, unprovoked. There was no "protect the cubs" going on. Read the articles.

Here is a link to a bunch of articles and info I found and posted on another link.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8837547&mesg_id=8837547

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8837547&mesg_id=8839715

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8837547&mesg_id=8839749

[joeybee12]

76. You don't KNOW that! She might have been...she might have been

provoked...everything right now is simply ASSUMPTION.

[proteus_lives]

59. How were sleeping campers threatening her cubs?

Stop trying to connect other issues. You're not making any points.

[dionysus]

157. it doesn't matter if she was "protecting her cubs" (she wasn't), and no one is like "yay! let's

kill a bear!!"

once a wild animal like that eats a person and humans are now considered prey, they are forever a danger and must be destroyed.

it's sad but that's how it is.

[and-justice-for-all]

129. You do not get it at all...nt

[proteus_lives]

138. Yeah, I do.

People have asinine opinions about animals making unprovoked attacks against humans.

[Confusious]

160. Haven't you seen disney?

Bears dance and sing "The Bare Necessities"!

[MellowDem]

28. And they're humans acting like humans...

what "fault" do the people who got attacked have? That's some seriously messed up thinking. The bear isn't being put down for "justice", it's being put down for the safety of future campers.

[SteveM]

35. "...wandering onto her turf." There are many places which once were "turf"...

to wild and dangerous animals. Wolves and jaguars once roamed Florida into the beginning of the l800s, and grizzlies had a far greater range than now -- including what are now the town squares of cities. I support the re-introduction (as necessary) of these animals in ranges where they have been extirpated. I also support the removal (and killing, if necessary) of a predator who has killed a human. The science may be inconclusive on whether or not an animal will turn to killing humans again, but unless there is good evidence to the contrary, a wild animal who has "gone feral" may be a problem in the future.

Please note that bears, alligators, snakes, cougars, humans, etc., now share turfs in many places. We are all nature.

[malaise]

84. 100% correct

We humans are so fucking arrogant.

[RamboLiberal]

91. Geez people it is the policy to kill dangerous bears

This is just one attack that hit the news cycle. It is a policy normally of wildlife officials to put down any bear (or mountain lion) that attack humans without provocation.

I can't believe all the whining on this thread about the bear.

And grizzlies and other bears are still hunted as trophy game - work to change that if you are so gung-ho to save the bears.

Sorry but last I checked it is still okay to go camping, even in places where there might be bears. Maybe we ought to make humans tote in bear-proof metal shelters to please some of you.

This one was killed last month.

Wyoming (Reuters) - Authorities in northwest Wyoming have shot and killed a grizzly bear they say mauled an elderly hiker to death near Yellowstone National Park.

Erwin Frank Evert, 70, was found dead on Thursday in the Kitty Creek area, about 7 miles east of Yellowstone, a popular U.S. tourist spot, famous for its Old Faithful Geyser.

Tests of genetic material found on Evert matched blood taken from the bear, said Chris Servheen, grizzly bear coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Officials used a helicopter and radio tracking gear to locate and shoot the bear on Saturday morning, after making several unsuccessful attempts to catch it.


http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65J2UQ20100620

[and-justice-for-all]

108. ....

:eyes:

[uppityperson]

112. Indeed, though "sport" hunting bears gets me ticked off.

If you hunt one and eat it then you at least have a reason beyond macho bullshit posturing and a skin. A neighbor showed me the skin he'd got from a bear in AK (before I lived up there) and told me the story of killing it. He was watching and waiting for a good shot, then the bear started heading out so he just shot it. It fell down and started into a grove of alders by a stream so he shot it again. It got into the heavy underbrush and he realized it was a really dangerous situation for him, but managed to get his courage up to look around and shoot it several more times before it got to him.

Meanwhile, I'm thinking "you asshole! You torture a bear to death, take its skin and now have a 'OMG I ALMOST DIED' story to go with it you f*ing ASSHOLE!"

I don't like "sport" hunting bears. They are very cool beings and don't deserve to be killed. I'd rather live with the "don't kill me I won't kill you" type of thing.

[Cetacea]

143. Unlike animals, humans get a bit of a kick from killing

[uppityperson]

147. My cats like to torture and kill mice. They enjoy it.

[Cal33]

159. Animals that get into chicken coops, like foxes, have been

known to kill all the chickens in the coop, and they can't eat more than one.

[liquid diamond]

170. WTF?! I've read some sick shit here about people's pathetic

attachment to animals, but this is putrid!

:puke:

[tridim]

3. Damn, I thought the wolves had finally captured Palin.

[closeupready]

4. No! Do not kill her! Those grizzly cubs need their mother.

Send her and her cubs to Alaska or Canada or something, but it is not necessary to destroy her. :(

[Mimosa]

14. Right!

Humans just can't let other creatures alone. :(

[MellowDem]

29. Actually, no creature lets other creatures alone...

and in fact, humans survive by actively killing other creatures all the time, just as the bear does.

[Bryn]

19. Is there anything we can do to stop them from killing the mother?

:(

[closeupready]

22. If grizzlies are considered an endangered species either federally or in Montana,

could a judicial injunction be issued to stop it?

[closeupready]

24. Here's something interesting from the Wiki on Grizzly Bears:

>>Legal status

The grizzly bear is listed as threatened in the contiguous United States and endangered in parts of Canada. In May 2002, the Canadian Species at Risk Act listed the Prairie population (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba range) of grizzly bears as being wiped out in Canada.<45> In Alaska and parts of Canada however, the grizzly is still legally shot for sport by hunters. On January 9, 2006, the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to remove Yellowstone grizzlies from the list of threatened and protected species.<46> In March 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service "de-listed" the population,<47> effectively removing Endangered Species Act protections for grizzlies in the Yellowstone National Park area. On September 22, 2009, a federal judge reinstated protection for the bears<48><<

And a link to the article referenced in footnote 48:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/09/yellowstones-grizzly-bears-still-threatened-us-district-court-judge-rules.html

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

5. Why don't sedate them and take them to a zoo?

And no, "would be slightly more expensive" is not an excuse.

[Xithras]

10. The cubs will go to a zoo.

The mama will be put down. Given her aggressiveness, it's improbable that any zoos would want her anyway.

[Mosby]

86. does agressiveness matter in this situation?

Couldn't a zoo just put mama bear and her cubs in an enclosure by themselves?

[Xithras]

94. No zoo wants the liability of a known killer

There's a huge behaviorial difference between zoo raised animals and wild animals, which is why zoo's only rarely accept large adult animals raised in the forest. Wild animals tend to get flightly and aggressive when caged anyway...starting the process with one that has already killed people is just asking for trouble. Few zoos are willing do deal with that.

The other problem, of course, is that you're talking about four bears with a momma that isn't going to want other bears around. Not only would they have to find a zoo that is willing, but they'd need to find one that has a very large bear-safe exhibit area just sitting there unused. The odds of that are near zero.

[glinda]

6. Pretty sure the humans are at fault as she was fearing for her cubs. This makes me angry.

[pitohui]

11. pretty sure the humans weren't fault, one lady was asleep in her fucking tent

why don't people inform themselves before they expound? the park rangers already determined that the campers were making proper use of the bear bags, etc, they did NOTHING wrong

this bear has to go, she's dangerous

as for people who never go outdoors who think this bear is "doing what bears do," guess fucking what, MOST NORMAL BEARS DON'T ATTACK TENTS for no fucking reason, sheesh

[Xithras]

16. Usually it's a hikers fault, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.

The bear wandered into a heavily occupied formal campground in the middle of the night and started attacking tents and people unprovoked. Most bear attacks occur after a hiker or camper accidentally stumble onto a bear or cub and the bear attacks instinctively and defensively. This is one of those rare attacks where the bear simply comes in an attacks without provocation. There was ALSO another unprovoked serious mauling by another grizzly at the same campground in 2008, under the exact same circumstances and there's some suspicion that it may be the same bear.

With three cubs, it's probable that she was hungry and needed food for herself and her cubs. In spite of that, when bears start seeing HUMANS as food and hunt us at night, we kill them.

[Arkansas Granny]

17. According to the article I read, there were 3 separate attacks around

2 a.m. It doesn't sound like anyone was threatening her or her cubs at the time. The attacks took place at the campground, not during a chance encounter on a trail. She may have been looking for food, but the bear initiated the attacks.

As sad as is may be that she will be put down, it is quite likely that she would continue attacks like this if she was released into the wild again.

[jobycom]

9. They should have watched "Brother Bear," then they'd leave her alone.

Seriously, I can see not releasing her back into the area, but couldn't the find a ranch or reserve willing to take her?

And is there scientific evidence to prove that a bear who has killed a human is more likely to do so again, or is this just more Cowboy Justice from the Old Days? I really have no idea.

[hamsterjill]

12. Stories like this make me ashamed of my species!

When is mankind EVER going to learn that there are other options rather than Kill! Kill!! Kill!!!

The thought of that bear being executed for merely being what she is, and most probably for DEFENDING her cubs, makes me feel sick.

[pitohui]

13. the thought of people having an opinion about stories they know nothing about makes me sick

to blame a sleeping human being for being attacked is just vile and wrong on every level

it's called blaming the victim and IT IS WRONG

she wasn't defending her cubs by attacking a tent with a sleeping human being in it

sheesh

[hamsterjill]

20. And just where was that sleeping human being that was VICTIMIZED????

In the bear's territory, no doubt.

Good heavens, are you ready to be the one to pull the trigger?

Move the bear and the cubs to a different location.

[MellowDem]

30. Fucking bears and their "territory"...

All those assholes do is kill. All about killing and territorial... sounds like a freeper to me. :P

[hamsterjill]

50. So bears are now the assholes?

Is that what you are saying here? Because a bear is acting like a bear - that makes her an asshole?

Have you been attacked by a bear?

[uppityperson]

52. Most bears don't eat people in tents in the middle of the night.

That is what makes this bear an asshole. She wasn't defending her cubs. She wasn't startled. She wasn't defending a dead elk. She simply decided to start biting people in tents, killing one. This was an unprovoked attack and yes, she is an asshole.

Have you been attacked by a bear? (not sure what that has to do with this predator bear but you asked it also so for some reason you consider it a legitimate part of having an opinion on this subject).

[pitohui]

55. agreed, this bear was not being a bear, this is NOT a normal bear or normal behavior

this bear attacked sleeping humans in their tent, i have no more problem w. removing this bear from the gene pool than i had with removing ted bundy from the gene pool

[hamsterjill]

67. If you would take the time to read my post

My question was not directed to you, but rather to the poster to whom I was responding.

[uppityperson]

68. This is a forum and people jump in all over. My question is directed at you.

Someone else may give their answer also.

Most bears don't eat people in tents in the middle of the night.

That is what makes this bear an asshole. She wasn't defending her cubs. She wasn't startled. She wasn't defending a dead elk. She simply decided to start biting people in tents, killing one. This was an unprovoked attack and yes, she is an asshole.

Have you been attacked by a bear? (not sure what that has to do with this predator bear but you asked it also so for some reason you consider it a legitimate part of having an opinion on this subject).

[hamsterjill]

75. No, I have not been attacked by a bear.

Yes, this is a forum. But in order to properly understand posts, it is necessary to take the time to understand which response goes with which post.

[yawnmaster]

89. Not all bears are , but I do believe this particular bear is an asshole. eom

[MellowDem]

97. I was being sarcastic....

tounge in cheek and whatnot. I just found it funny how some were describing the bear as if it were a human deserving of the same rights and protections but without any culpability because it is a bear. I think it's smart to put down the bear so it won't do the same to other campers. I think of it like the circle of life.

I have never been attacked by a bear. But if I was, I would have no problem in killing or maiming the bear in defense of myself. That is what is happening here.

[uppityperson]

43. Mama bear attacked 3 people sleeping in their tents

It was 3 separate unprovoked attacks. Mama bear has a problem, rather like freepers do.

[WI_DEM]

66. sounds like in a tent in a heavily populated camp ground with the bear

attacking unprovoked.

[Change has come]

135. How about move the bear and cubs back into their traditional range?

Which included a huge portion of Texas. :shrug:

[uppityperson]

141. Send 4 bears that eat people back to Texas? Hmmmmm.

[JanMichael]

152. But, that's what you are doing too!

You just happen to be a DU Bear Expert on the side of the humans.

[lumberjack_jeff]

126. The democratic party mascot? It's supposed to be figurative.

You can speak for yourself, but the rest of us aren't *actual* jackasses.

[SoCalDem]

15. Good.. any bear that researches & tracks innocent people down & goes to their home in Michigan

and kills them in their sleep in their own bedroom deserves it..

oh wait...


They were in Mama Bear's environs, and she had THREE cubs to care for... their just being there endangers her young..

swim in the ocean and you might get attacked by a shark
wander around in the swamp & a gator might get you
camp in bear-country & a bear might get you..

[proteus_lives]

21. Sorry, I'm not going to shed any tears over a man-killer.

If she's the bear, destroy it.

[Stuckinthebush]

81. Gotta agree with proteus

It is a very sad situation but this bear is a menace based on the reports. Gotta put her down.

[ZombieHorde]

25. Sad. nt

[Fleshdancer]

26. This story pisses me off

If they want to relocate her and her cubs, fine, but killing a mother bear because she acted instinctively is cruel and just plain stupid.

[uppityperson]

44. Attacking 3 separate tents is "instinctively" acting? Good grief.

[joeybee12]

77. Good grief is right...your posts are inane...we have no clue what might have

happened prior...all this is is assumption at this point...someone else could have provoked her and these people happened to unluckily be in her path. Amazing that you're such an expert based on assumptions.

[uppityperson]

113. So you think attacking people in 3 separate tents is "acting instinctively"?

Ah. Speaking of assuming. Here is what the FWP spokesman Ron Aasheim has to say about this.
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/6416730-park-rangers-capture-grizzly-bear-responsible-for-camper-death
""This is not typical bear behavior. It's odd. It's not normal," Aasheim said on the FWP website."

[Politicalboi]

27. I thought ALL Grizzlies were killers

WTF is worng with these people?

[geek tragedy]

31. No, most bears are afraid of people and avoid them.

The ones that see people as prey--not much can be done with them.

[shraby]

33. In the process of her making people her prey, she has

taught her cubs a lesson they didn't need to learn which in turn will make them dangerous.

[geek tragedy]

32. Sadly, they have no choice but to euthanize this bear

and put her cubs in a zoo. She attacked a woman in a sleeping bag as well as two other people. That's predatory behavior--not protecting cubs.

Moreover, her cubs will have learned the behavior of hunting people from her.

Very sad, but as long as they let people into Yellowstone they can't have bears like that in there.

Grizzlies are actually thriving in Yellowstone, to the point where they are leaving the park because it isn't big enough for all of them.

[Vinca]

36. There should be another solution. The grizzly didn't go into

a human habitat, humans went into the grizzly's habitat. If you camp, hike or bike in an area where dangerous, WILD animals reside, you assume a risk.

[GoCubsGo]

162. Exactly right.

Yep, the solution would be to take the fucking camp ground out of the bears' habitat. Nature is brutal. It doesn't see humans as special entities, whose lives are more special than every other creature that exists. Only humans see things that way. If someone enters your home without your permission, you'd go after them. Why should bears have to behave differently if you're the one doing the invading, just because you are the self-appointed "superior" species? I find it amazing that we have national parks to protect the wild animals, and then kill them off when they behave like wild animals.

[Renew Deal]

37. Why would they kill a bear for being a bear?

:wtf:

[uppityperson]

45. Most bears don't chomp people in tents in the middle of the night.

There was something wrong with this bear and unfortunately once she has shown she has learned people are prey, she is too dangerous to keep alive. It is sad but she fucked up and the worst part is she taught her 3 cubs to do the same.

[uppityperson]

38. LInk to my post with a bit more... Poor campers and poor cubs. Bad mama bear

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8837547&mesg_id=8837547

[Liberal_in_LA]

40. poor victims. Poor bear

[The2ndWheel]

41. Wow. Nothing can escape

The bear's DNA was being tested. Actually holding the bear up to human standards. Because the bear knows the rules of our society. I'd almost rather see them just randomly kill a bear. To test the DNA of the bear...there's something very sad about that.

Then there are the cubs. While we're holding bears up to the standards of human civilization, we're punishing the children for the mistake of a parent.

[uppityperson]

49. You would rather have a random bear killed than the one who killed this person? wtf?

I am glad there is dna testing so they can make sure this is the same bear. Did you see the picture of the trap they caught her in? Look at the bait. Yes, the dead guy's tent.

We are "punishing" the cubs indeed for the mother teaching them to eat people. It is very very very sad for those cubs.

[The2ndWheel]

95. Almost

Almost rather. I just find it sad that we would test the DNA of the bear. It's a bear. How can we hold it to the rules and regulations of human society? It's not like the bear sees a person and thinks, "oh, wait, that's a human...they're off limits. They have all those laws and stuff." The bear doesn't get to vote. The bear doesn't get to have a say in any of this. The bear doesn't even know that it's what we call a bear, or that we're what we call humans.

As for teaching the cubs to eat people...I think bears should be able to teach other bears whatever they want to teach them. But then I guess that means that humans should be able to test the DNA of the bear, so that we can kill the right bear, for being the wrong kind of bear, as defined by us.

So, a few less bears, a few less people...c'est la vie.

[jgraz]

42. BREAKING: Mother successfully defends children during home invasion

Seriously, the bears were here first.

[geek tragedy]

53. The bear attacked a woman in her sleeping bag.

That ain't self defense, it's aggression.

[jgraz]

82. I'm guessing the bear would disagree.

[geek tragedy]

87. The bear was looking for food, not defending its turf.

Bears don't perceive inanimate people as threats.

[jgraz]

90. And you know this... how?

This oughtta be good.

[uppityperson]

114. Most times the "home invaders" are the ones entering the home, not the ones sleeping there

Typically.

[Name removed]

61. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Triana]

62. +1 n/t

[MellowDem]

98. Think of killing the bear...

as successfully defending future campers from bear eating. A national park serves the public, not bears.

[jgraz]

101. Sorry, I'm not a supporter of the death penalty.

[MellowDem]

103. The bear is... nt

[jgraz]

104. Most bears are Republicans.

[MellowDem]

109. True, as Mama Grizzly will attest

;)

[MellowDem]

99. dupe

[Booster]

48. It just seems there should be another solution besides killing the

bear. I understand that the campers were experienced and didn't do anything to provoke the bear, but, still, there should be another solution.

[Bette Noir]

63. Life imprisonment for bears?

[yawnmaster]

88. Do you have an extra bedroom and a nursery for the cubs? eom

[GoCubsGo]

165. Yeah, don't camp in bear country.

Or, suffer any consequences if you decide to take the chance and do so.

[Triana]

60. Humans invade the bear's habitat and the bear has to die?

Doesn't seem right to me.

[uppityperson]

65. Unprovoked bear chomps many sleeping humans. Doesn't seem right to me.

[jgraz]

83. That's cuz you're a human

It would probably seem completely reasonable to a bear.

[MellowDem]

100. Lots of things seem reasonable to bears...

thank God we aren't bears.

[jgraz]

125. Seriously? I think it would be pretty cool to be a bear

That is, until you get killed for eating one, tiny human. Sheesh.

[fishbulb703]

163. Right? It's called nature. Nature doesn't believe in moral absoluteism.

[Stuckinthebush]

85. Yes

She killed a human and attacked two others in tents at night. I don't know what caused her to do it but she has demonstrated that she will attack unprovoked. It is really very sad all around.

[spanone]

69. pic...

[Blue Owl]

72. someone please put the black leather S&M hood back on

PLEASE!

[TheCowsCameHome]

70. Who were the interlopers here?

Do we just kill off the bears so campers can sleep in the woods?

[uppityperson]

71. Bears that wander through an established campground unprovoked attacking people, yes.

Attacking 3 different tents at random, then being lured into the trap by bait of the dead man's tent is aggressive behavior not normal for most bears. Like Ted Bundy.

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/one-dead-two-killed-in-bear-attack-at-montana-campground/19572412

The victims were in three different tents, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Warden Capt. Sam Sheppard. Two of the tents were close to each other. The male who was killed was alone in a tent about a quarter-mile away in the heavily occupied campground that has 27 sites for tents and recreational vehicles, he said.

Campers throughout the site had their food in storage boxes, Sheppard said.

"They were doing things right," Sheppard said. "It was random. I have no idea why this bear picked these three tents out of all the tents there."

[smiley]

92. to those calling for the destruction of the bear

your callousness is sad and disgraceful. It's a shame that the bear didn't know how to play by our rules:sarcasm:

[uppityperson]

115. This isn't me but says it well

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8840469&mesg_id=8841486

[Donald Ian Rankin]

93. People are more important than animals.

If this bear poses a threat to human life then it must be prevented from doing so, and if killing it is the best way to do that then that's the right thing to do.

[NightWatcher]

96. four legs bad, two legs good

[MellowDem]

102. Not bad, just not as valuable in human society nt

[GoCubsGo]

164. Says who?

Nature doesn't distinguish between humans and other animals, regardless of how self-important humans think they are.

[liquid diamond]

172. I'm amazed some people in this thread disagree. n/t

[and-justice-for-all]

106. Damn her for defending her offspring!!!!

:eyes:

[uppityperson]

116. Indeed, those people sleeping in their tents were SUCH a threat!!!11111

I am most sorry for the cubs since they have been taught a really bad lesson by mom.

[and-justice-for-all]

127. Yeah, you are in her territory....

HUMANS are the invasive species here, not the Bear.

[proteus_lives]

120. From sleeping campers.

:eyes:

[and-justice-for-all]

128. Like the Bear knows the difference...

she only smells the intruder in HER territory.

[proteus_lives]

130. Campgrounds aren't their territory anymore.

:eyes:

[Ross K]

107. A guy from Detroit once told me:

"Most of the people who get killed in Detroit were doing something they had no damn business doing in the first place!"

Ditto for campers.

[MrSlayer]

117. This is bullshit. You're in the bear's house.

The bear is going to do what bears do. This is just dumb. As bad as the idiots who go out and kill sharks for being fucking sharks. I hate people.

[uppityperson]

118. FWP spokesman Ron Aasheim says "This is not typical bear behavior. It's odd. It's not normal,"

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/6416730-park-rangers-capture-grizzly-bear-responsible-for-camper-death

[liquid diamond]

173. What the hell does he know?

:sarcasm:

[uppityperson]

174. Trying to get this info to people now... They are researching wtf happened (link)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8854089&mesg_id=8854089

[proteus_lives]

119. Yep, those sleeping campers deserved to die.

:eyes:

[MrSlayer]

122. No one said they deserved it.

But if you're where the bears live, don't be surprised if one attacks you.

[proteus_lives]

123. And if you're an animal who kills humans, don't be surprised if other humans kill you.

[uppityperson]

124. even though the fwp says this is not normal bear behaviour? It is like people, some are nice decent

people, there are a few Ted Bundy's around.

[Stuckinthebush]

134. No

In this situation the humans were doing nothing wrong. They were in a campground - asleep I might add - with no warning of bear activity in the area. The bear is a menace and needs to be put down. Otherwise, she will do it again.

[uppityperson]

131. UPDATE. Tent fibers in bear's poop, 4th cub caught, waiting on DNA testing

http://www.billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_9a7ed018-9bea-11df-83a4-001cc4c002e0.html

COOKE CITY — The last grizzly bear believed involved in the fatal mauling of a Michigan man at a campground near Yellowstone National Park has been captured, and Montana wildlife officials are awaiting DNA tests to confirm their suspicions.
(clip)

Fibers from a tent or sleeping bag were in the captured bears' droppings, and a tooth fragment found in a tent appears to match a chipped tooth on the 300- to 400-pound sow. But officials say they will decide the bears' fate only after seeing the results of DNA tests that are expected Friday. "Everything points to it being the offending bear, but we are not going to do anything until we have DNA samples," said Ron Aasheim, a spokesman for Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Evidence indicates all three cubs were present for and likely participated in what Warden Capt. Sam Sheppard called a sustained attack on Kevin Kammer of Grand Rapids, Mich. He was pulled out his tent and dragged 25 feet and the bears fed on his body.

(clip)
Cooke City resident Cliff Browne, 70, said visitors and residents of the Yellowstone gateway community would be relieved to hear the news of the final capture. Living in proximity to grizzlies is part of life and he said he's not particularly scared of bears, but this one was different, he said. "I hate to see them have to put it down, and I'm not one of those bleeding-heart environmental protectionists, but I don't see any choice," Browne said Friday morning.

[joeybee12]

132. Has anyone wondered why that campground was even open? The responsible thing

to have done was to close it off to the public...no way did this bear just suddenly show up...with apparently 4 cubs, her territory is much more limited...she brought them out probably in April and has been in that area or nearby for quite some time. Someone fucked up big time.

[uppityperson]

133. I bet the park & fish/wildlife people are seeking answers, however this is by large

parks (gallatin national forest and yellowstone national park), with mountains, forests, rivers, etc etc etc, a good sized area. And this campground is a long established one. I camped there in the mid-60's.

Bears travel and yes, they could have suddenly shown up.

Do a google search of "Soda Butte Campground" and look at the satellite picture.

Here are links on the campground
http://www.hikercentral.com/campgrounds/117096.html

[joeybee12]

137. Not with four first-year cubs...odds are she's not gonna just show up...

...having lived in yellowstone for three years, a mohter even with two cubs will travel, and while it while be a large territory, she is going to go through the same large territory over and over becasue she knows it's safe...trying to raise four cubs and keep them safe from wolves and male adult grizzlies, this is the only way to keep them safe. I want to know why no one has asked if she had been spotted before...shitty work by fish and game, shitty reporting of the story.

[uppityperson]

140. Except according to news articles I've read, some of these were yearlings, not all 1st yr

They released info that the mama and her cubs ate part of the guy they killed. I will watch and as more info comes out, will post it.

I like bears very much and am very sad for the young ones here as learning that people are ok to eat is not a good thing.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h-zvKvHc7LVgGFN-WcG2niIDZNZwD9H9G8T00

A sow and two of her three cubs had been trapped by Thursday while the final year-old cub was found in a trap early Friday. The bears — crying out and scratching at the steel sides of traps — left the Soda Butte campground in a three-truck convoy Friday morning.(clip)

Authorities say the bear family, under the tutelage of its mother, specifically targeted campers at the campground — a sharp departure from the norm of grizzlies attacking only when threatened or surprised.

Evidence indicates all three cubs likely participated in what Warden Capt. Sam Sheppard called a sustained attack on Kevin Kammer of Grand Rapids, Mich. He was pulled out of his tent and dragged 25 feet and at least one of the bears fed on his body.

http://www.islandparknews.net/atf.php?sid=8690¤t_edition=2010-07-29

Witnesses said the sow was with three yearling cubs.
(clip)
Evidence indicates all three cubs lparticipated in what MFWP Warden Capt. Sam Sheppard called a sustained attack on Kevin Kammer of Grand Rapids, Mich. He was pulled out his tent and dragged 25 feet and the bears fed on his body.

[joeybee12]

144. I hope they don't kill the cubs...

...thanks...keep us updated.

[uppityperson]

146. Cubs may go to zoos....

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/grizzly-in-fatal-attack-will-be-killed-cubs-may-go-to-zoo/19575090

The mama grizzly bear suspected in the fatal attack at a Montana campsite this week will be killed, but her cubs may be sent to live in a zoo, an official said today.
(clip)
"The cubs have learned, in essence, that this is how to hunt," Andrea Jones of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks told NBC's "Today." "They've learned behavior that humans are prey. And that is not acceptable."

Servheen, though, said the cubs can be safely kept in a zoo, but added that they will never be released into the wild. "The animals entered that campground with the express intent of killing and eating a person," he said.

Experts say fatal bear attacks on humans are rare, and they're baffled by the aggressive behavior of this particular grizzly. "This is an extremely rare case," Jones told NBC. "What happened here, we can't explain it right now."

[joeybee12]

149. You know, they might not have learned that...if they're second year, depending on

their personalities, they could have been away from Mama at the time.

Also, what concerns me is this is the State agency investigating, state of Montana, and having lived there, in the state that approved shooting bison that wandered out of Yellowstone, I think they messed up somewhere.

[TheKentuckian]

151. People eat bears, take their territory, and ruin the habitat they are left

Poor humans! Woe is human who spoils the earth, air, and waters and consumes what he wishes without any predator.

The same pricks who brought you the bear skin rug are probably first to cry foul if a hungry bear hunts one of them.

I might feel the same way about a man eater if we were not so aggressive with habitat destruction and shrink their possible food supply to make survival so insanely hard.
They probably deserve to strike back from time to time, I'm sure we are up HUGE in the total killed column.

[GoCubsGo]

167. +1

Amen!

[blueamy66]

169. Exactly Kentuckian.

I love to hear the whiners in Scottsdale who build their MacMansions up on a mountain, in the desert, and complain about the scorpion, rattlesnakes, javelinas and coyotes.

Um, they were there first, you idiots. If you don't want to meet up with them, don't build your ugly fucking houses in the desert.

[Brickbat]

136. Sounds like a good ending for a rogue bear. I have no problem with this.

[josephina]

145. This makes me so sad.

I can understand the reasons for removing the bear from an area near campsites. But must she die?

[uppityperson]

148. She killed and ate someone. She taught her cubs how to hunt people.

Relocated bears can and do travel large distances and they encounter people again. It is sad.

[beam me up scottie]

156. She'll be better off dead.

Seriously.

Putting this wild predator in a cage for the rest of its "natural" life is unacceptable.

[AngryOldDem]

158. Sadly, yes.

Most bears are solitary and will go out of their way to avoid humans. This one, however, has shown she will kill and has also shown that behavior to her cubs, which means they will be predators as well.

And I don't blame the campers at all. From what I've heard they were experienced and didn't do anything careless to attract the bears.

[murphyj87]

166. Mama Grizzly?

Why didn't they catch Mamam Grizzly Sarah Palin while they were at it?

[Contrary1]

168. Bear Euthanized Friday

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/38500807#38500807