As hunters, it’s always hard to see animals put down because of human stupidity. It is one thing to hunt an animal for food on your table, but it is another thing entirely when an animal is put down for doing what comes naturally to it.
That was exactly the case in Oregon earlier this month. A bear cub was put down after it had been habitually fed near Henry Hagg Lake. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office reported that some people were even seen taking selfies with the young bear. WCSO was able to scare the cub away, but it returned the next day.
Deputies are working to get this bear cub near Hagg Lake to go back into the woods… please stay away from the area near Boat Ramp A. pic.twitter.com/tI8m5yTbyk
— WCSO Oregon (@WCSOOregon) June 13, 2019
It was at that time that the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife decided to put the bear down.
“This is a classic example of why we implore members of the public not to feed bears,” wildlife biologist Kurt Licence said in a statement. “While the individuals who put food out for this bear may have had good intentions bears should never, ever be fed.”
ODFW went on to say in their statement that they do not relocate bears who have become comfortable with people. They say that once a bear has lost its fear of humans, it will likely seek them out again in the future.
We’ve reported on several human and animal conflicts lately. A bear was killed in Colorado after biting a woman. The contents of his stomach showed his diet was almost completely bird seed, likely from someone’s backyard bird feeder. A coyote in New Jersey attacked a mother and son near a community center. One can only assume he was looking for food. In all of these cases, the animal was put-down for learning that humans were a source of food. Should more steps be taken to prevent this type of thing from happening? Or is this just a consequence of human expansion?
