The Editor,
Unfortunately, a man was sent to the hospital earlier this month when a mother black bear, acting on instinct, attacked. The man left the hospital with minor injuries while the mother bear was shot and killed as its three cubs watched from the tree tops.
It was found that the mama bear had been previously relocated and had returned, probably in the hopes of finding food.
Properly storing your garbage is one way to prevent bear visitors but the question is now, where was that bear relocated? Was it far enough away from human contact and in a habitat that best suited its needs?
These bears need to be protected before they become extinct. This bear and others like it should be relocated when they are first seen in public rather than shot while attacking on instinct. Relocations should be monitored in order to ensure the bears not wander back into communities.
There are other options for these animals. If more instances occur involving bears and humans, each one needs to be evaluated by more than one person as separate instances and dealt with after finding the best solution for everyone and every bear.
Jacquelyn Holmes, Coquitlam
