Wisconsin officials defend bear kill
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin wildlife officials are defending their decision to shoot a cornered bear in La Crosse.
The 300-pound black bear wandered into Myrick Park on June 27. A crowd followed it with video cameras until it climbed a tree.
Wildlife officials say the crowd ignored orders to disperse and the bear grew more agitated. When it looked like it was going to leave the tree, officers had to open fire because the animal threatened public safety.
Some in the crowd complained officials should have tranquilized it. But bear scientist Mike Gappa says it’s tough to knock out a bear. Tranquilizers can take up to 15 minutes to work and could have driven the bear into a dangerous thrashing fit as it fought the drugs.
Jul 12, 2009 at 1:08 p.m.
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They trap bears in other locations that they don't belong at.
Jul 12, 2009 at 1:05 p.m.
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maybe the should have trapped it and then released it somewhere else.
Jul 12, 2009 at 12:04 p.m.
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Poor bear, stupid people could not have been said any better SarahB1. Thank God it did not hurt anyone, the public and press would have tried to crucify the DNR for that too.
Jul 11, 2009 at 8:23 p.m.
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Let us refer to this as 'death by Disneyfication'. These people were apparently PETAfied when they should have been petrified.
Jul 11, 2009 at 3:03 p.m.
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On TV and in the movies, they shoot the animal (or person) with the dart and the effect is almost instantaneous. The only reason that this happens is because it is in the script or the director calls it. It has no relationship to pharmacology, physiology, or ballistics.
Jul 11, 2009 at 2:39 p.m.
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I have to agree -- the crowd put the bear in danger. Mass stupidity.
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The tranquilizer doesn't work like you think it does. It's one thing to do it in a safari park with Marlon Perkins, it's another when you have people crowding for a looky-loo. In Colorado and other places where bears are more common and find their way into the "forest penumbra" (suburban development with a lot of trees, basically), people are educated to just stay out of the bear's way until it goes away.
http://wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpec...
Jul 11, 2009 at 12:03 p.m.
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The tranquilizer gun was in Eau Claire and would have taken almost 2 hours to get it to Myric Park in La Crosse where the bear was. Due to state budget constraints there is only 1 tranquilizer gun per designated area. As the warden stated so perfectly on the local tv news, if he wouldn't have shot the bear and let it run through the park where families were enjoying picnics, people would have complained about that. It was a no win situation for authorities.
Jul 11, 2009 at 11:58 a.m.
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Myrick Park is frequented by people from Illinois.
Jul 11, 2009 at 11:44 a.m.
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biggirl, it doesn't say how many police were there. They need to be watching the bear. It is up to the people to listen and obey...for their safety, the safety of the officers and the bear.
Jul 11, 2009 at 11:18 a.m.
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I agree with SarahB1..poor bear stupid people.It really angers me when an animal gets killed because some humans can't be humane. What a bunch of idiots.
Jul 11, 2009 at 11:11 a.m.
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Why couldn't they have tried the tranquilizer earlier? And, by the way, this doesn't say much for their ability to control crowds. Either the police are incompetent or they really wanted to shoot the bear. Which is it?
Jul 11, 2009 at 10:51 a.m.
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"Wisonsin officials defend bear kill" is still in the back pages.
Jul 11, 2009 at 10:49 a.m.
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Never mind -- they fixed it. ;-)
Jul 11, 2009 at 10:48 a.m.
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Oh, and by the way -- Wisonsin? I get a red line under it.
Jul 11, 2009 at 10:30 a.m.
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The crowd complained?!! Those idiots are the ones that put the bear in it's fatal predicament.
Every one of them should be charged with disorderly conduct for failing to disperse. Those geniuses in the crowd who demanded tranquilizer guns should have a chance to test their advice by giving them a tranquilizer gun and putting them in a cage with a frightened and confused bear.
Jul 11, 2009 at 10:23 a.m.
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The people who disobeyed are the complainers. That's why I taught my children young to obey or pay the consequences. In this case, the life of a bear.
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