THE TUMBLER TIMES - PAGE 8

TE CUDDLY BEARS .......

most "old timers" from last summer will fondly recall, the spring and

mmer seasons here in the north bring with them warmth, strange green things
the aspen branches, long evenings ..... and bears. Cute, cuddly bears,
ipping open your garbage and aging your mortified cat who has grown overly
nfident about sunning itself on the back porch. Spring is a time when

ese forest inhabitants arise to stake out their favourite haunts and handy
urces of food for yet another year, and, to their practical eyes, the

rival of the Northeast Coal Project has brought all the convenience of a
ven-Eleven store to their lives.

e bears you are most likely to encounter, if you go down to the woods today,
e black bears (Ursus americanus), classified and named by a Mr. Pallas in

80 (no doubt whilst they made off with his favorite sourdough pan biscuits).
ese members of the Ursidae are the smallest of the North American bears

ot counting the one your daughter has under her bed), and like the seclusion
d security of the forests, primarily so that they can climb to safety if
hreatened by either of their two main antagonists: Grizzlies and humans.

e grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) (first spotted, no doubt, by Liunaeus as it

pk off from his Swedish cottage with an entire smoked salmon in its mouth..)
s additionally classified by sub-species by an apparently terrified Mr. Ord
sUrsus arectos horribilis! in 1915 (though how he made such an accurate
ptermination from up in a tree, I'll never know). These less-than-cute

imals inhabit the sub-alpine and alpine zones, occasionally venturing into

e forests for the simple pleasures of terrifying an unsuspecting black bear
r expanding their "gourmet horizons". It is most unlikely (fortunately for
uu) that you will be greeted by one of these beasts, unless you are wandering

but in the alpine zone.

ich brings us to the very human problem of garbage. As the only species on
he planet who packages everything in disposable containers without a good plan
pr later disposing of them, we tendto create piles of odorous remnants around
irselves, in hopes that this stuff will, somehow, disappear. The handy green
prbage bags which we use have, unfortunately, become as familiar to our
pinhabiting bears as they are to us, with the unfortunate result that the

pars will invoke a variety of clever tricks in order to make off into the

ck yard with one of these "surprise grab bags", there to rip it open and

heck it out. And just like a kid at MacDonalds, the bears learn to love the
gs, to the extent that no amount of gentle persuasion will convince them to
» back into the forest and dig around in the cold, mud for dinner, ...-.ee-,
nu can see their point.

he end result of this chain of events almost always is the unfortunate
struction of a bear. As they become more sure of their food source, and

s they learn that we can't stop them (short of shooting them), a new boldness
1 their character surfaces, and a new level of problems arises. Bears will
vite themselves into your truck cab, your back porch, or your dog house;
dangerous situation, to say the least. (Two now well-documented indicators
lat Fido was "surprised" are: a complete change of fur colour, or a total
nss of hair onto the living room rug one afternoon.)

he prime motivation for bears around humans is food. If we are able to
revent them from gaining this reward, particularly in the spring, they will
tay away, and Fido can grow old gracefully. fThis can be done only by the
iligent observation of a few simple rules.

irst, all garbage should be kept indoors until immediately prior to its
ickup. This is best accomplished by a well-organized schedule with your
veal sanitary engineers, coupled with your co-operation.

second, if you see a curious bear, report it to the authorities. Their first
‘fort will be to scare off or deter the beast in the hope that it will vamoose.

hird, should you find yourself surprised in the woods or while walking home
rom the store, keep these thoughts in mind: DON'T RUN. Bears are quite
repared to chase things that run away; it's the usual response of a prey
nimal. If the bear rises on its hind legs, it is most certainly trying to
et more information on.you (most bears, though they won't admit it, would be
etter off with bi-focals). They may sniff the air and sway their heads in
rder to determine just what you are. TALK QUIETLY TO THEM AS YOU FACE THEM,
d, SLOWLY MOVE OUT OF THEIR WAY. Of course, there are a dozen situations for
hich this information does not apply, however, in general the bears do not
mnt to attack or harass you (unless you have done so to them...) and, given
ny reasonable "out", they will amble off in search of another green garbage