Bear shot dead because jar stays stuck on its head

Praxius

Mass'Debater
Dec 18, 2007
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Halifax, NS & Melbourne, VIC

A wild black bear whose head got stuck inside a 10-litre clear plastic jug wanders around last week in a photo released Wednesday by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Wildlife officials tried for six days to capture the bear but ended up killing it after it wandered into the city of Frazee during the town’s busy Turkey Days celebration.

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/World/1070448.html

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota wildlife officials tried for six days to capture a bear that had a plastic jar stuck over its head, but ended up killing the animal after it wandered into a city during a festival.

The wild black bear — whose head got stuck inside a 10-litre clear plastic jug presumably while foraging for food — ambled into the city of Frazee, 320 kilometres northwest of the Twin Cities, during the town’s busy Turkey Days celebration.

"When it got into town, our main concern was public safety," said Rob Naplin, the Department of Natural Resources’ area wildlife supervisor in Park Rapids.

The bear was first reported near the town of Lake George, about 100 kilometres east of Frazee, on July 21.

While the bear could breathe, it couldn’t eat or drink and was likely suffering from dehydration and hunger. "I’m sure there was high anxiety and frustration with its predicament," Naplin said.

There was no evidence the bear was baited by hunters, Naplin said. The legal baiting season doesn’t open until Aug. 15. The bear season opens Sept. 1.

In the six days that followed the initial sighting of the bear, officials tried to trap it, tranquilize it in numerous locations, but to no avail. By the time the animal showed up in Frazee, conservation officers decided it needed to be killed to avoid conflicts with humans.

"You don’t want it knocking over a kid or getting hit by a car," Naplin said. "Showing up in Frazee escalated the urgency of dispatching it."

One thing that confuses me on this situation is that they had 6 days to capture this bear..... they apparently couldn't tranquilize for whatever reason.... yet a camera man could get that close to get a shot of the bear with a jar on its head?

Trapped by a human device.... killed by a human device..... oh well.

I just don't get how they couldn't tranquilize the bear.
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
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I guess the telephoto lens had a better range than the tranq gun. Don't assume that anyone got 'this close' for the pic.

The fact that the bear is where it is speaks volumes to the fact that it had become a garbage eating bear. They create a lot of trouble and are constantly having stuff like this happen to them. ingesting plastic, getting stuck in junk. Sad really. I'm shocked they tried for 6 days frankly. I'd have thought they'd dispatch a garbage eater before they bothered wasting meds on it.
 

#juan

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Aug 30, 2005
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In the picture the bear looks like he's standing on a dumpster. Aren't they supposed to be bear-proof? I would have thought there were other options then just shooting the animal. The bear didn't create the garbage. Men did. I don't know if the bear got the big jar out of a dumpster or from some damn landfill site but it is not the bear's fault that the garbage is available. Too bad that big mayonaise jar turned into an effective bear trap.
 

lone wolf

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Nov 25, 2006
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In the picture the bear looks like he's standing on a dumpster. Aren't they supposed to be bear-proof? I would have thought there were other options then just shooting the animal. The bear didn't create the garbage. Men did. I don't know if the bear got the big jar out of a dumpster or from some damn landfill site but it is not the bear's fault that the garbage is available. Too bad that big mayonaise jar turned into an effective bear trap.

That big mayonaise jar should have been glass, or with a neck small enough that a kid couldn't get it over his/her head. My guess is after six days, the bear would be in a very panicky state. Once it got into town, human lives would be endangered. We really aren't very good at living with nature are we?
 

Nuggler

kind and gentle
Feb 27, 2006
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Backwater, Ontario.
8O........."Oooooh, umph, arghgg, oooooooooh. I'm tryin so hard to get out of my truck so's I can tranq Smokey................oooooh,,,,,,too many donuts..........damn. "

............Charley 2 this is Charley 1, Charley 2 come in..........

............Charley 2

...........Yah, hey Charley 2, I've been tryin for 6 days to get out of this ****ing truck, ok, just shoot that ****er.

..............Roger that. Shoot the ****er.

.............10-4.

..............BLAM!!!
..............Anything else, Charley 1, over

..............Yah, get some Vaseline and see if you can gimme a hand over here, huh?

.................Roger that Charley 1, on my way..........

:angry3:your conservation dollars in action.
 

missile

House Member
Dec 1, 2004
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Bet they didn't try dropping a heavy net on it first. Very easy after to haul it away somewhere from the population. Also, it could have been tranked easily after getting caught up in the netting.
 

#juan

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Aug 30, 2005
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That big mayonaise jar should have been glass, or with a neck small enough that a kid couldn't get it over his/her head. My guess is after six days, the bear would be in a very panicky state. Once it got into town, human lives would be endangered. We really aren't very good at living with nature are we?

The restaurants love those big plastic jars because they don't easily break while holding $50 dollars worth of mayo, or pickles, etc.. They should be forced to cut the jars up before they chuck them in the garbage.