Apparently the other cub survived and will be accepted by the Bronx Zoo. Supposedly this bear was almost friendly to a fault (often deliberately approaching people to greet them) and had never been seen as aggressive. However - I wonder what would happen if some shocked hiker or camper came across this bear and did something rash or dangerous as a result of it getting too close to people. They tried hazing it many times which just didn't take and I suppose they were worried that it might approach some human then get defensive if that person freaked out. This also points out that tranquilizing any animal is difficult and not without risk of oversedating due to an off estimate of weight or individual tolerance to the sedative. I remember those who were asking why the tiger on the loose at the San Francisco Zoo wasn't hit with a tranquilizer, when it was well known that tranquilizers work slowly, must be carefully sized/dosed for the target animal, and put people at risk if they miss. I suppose cubs might be a better target for sedatives since they don't tend to be dangerous when they're small and will hang around mom.
Human-conditioned grizzly bear killed by rangers in Glacier Park; cub dies from tranquilizer dart
http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/article_0d19278e-8c35-11de-b3fc-001cc4c03286.html
Grizzly mother, cub killed in Glacier National Park
http://www.kpax.com/Global/story.asp?S=10951031
Apparently this made news in Singapore too:
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/World/Story/STIStory_418592.html
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August 18, 2009 06:40PM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 1,372 |
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Re: Glacier NP: Grizzly sow killed and one cub dead from tranq attempt August 18, 2009 08:12PM | Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 923 |
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Re: Glacier NP: Grizzly sow killed and one cub dead from tranq attempt August 18, 2009 08:50PM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 179 |
August 18, 2009 08:53PM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 1,372 |
Quote
AlmostThere
Was reading about this in another forum. I'm very sad that they felt they had to do this. I suppose she would have raised the cubs to behave the same way.
I believe this bear was already teaching its cubs the same sort of behavior.
In Yosemite, black bears sow pass on campground raiding, apple foraging, car entry, etc to their cubs.
August 19, 2009 07:09AM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 1,942 |
Quote
y_p_w
In Yosemite, black bears sow pass on campground raiding, apple foraging, car entry, etc to their cubs.
If you think about it, there have been people in the valley for hundreds and perhaps thousands of years that could have been a source of food for bears. I wonder if there has been a selection pressure for camp raiding bears. It is possible that Yosemite valley bears are a subspecies with unique obsession with human derived food.
The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan
August 19, 2009 07:22AM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 1,942 |
Quote
y_p_w
Supposedly this bear was almost friendly to a fault (often deliberately approaching people to greet them) and had never been seen as aggressive.
Bears are interested in ingesting calories, reproduction, protecting territory and offspring, and avoiding injury. I doubt that there is much difference between a bear that is exploring a garbage can and a bear that is exploring human or human encampments. I suspect she was looking for the opportunity to find calories. The bear probably just didn't know how to access food when confronted by humans and was puzzled by the situation. When you have to ingest more than 20,000 calories/day, there just isn't much time for socializing!
The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan
August 19, 2009 07:34AM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 1,372 |
Quote
Frank Furter
Quote
y_p_w
Supposedly this bear was almost friendly to a fault (often deliberately approaching people to greet them) and had never been seen as aggressive.
Bears are interested in ingesting calories, reproduction, protecting territory and offspring, and avoiding injury. I doubt that there is much difference between a bear that is exploring a garbage can and a bear that is exploring human or human encampments. I suspect she was looking for the opportunity to find calories. The bear probably just didn't know how to access food when confronted by humans and was puzzled by the situation. When you have to ingest more than 20,000 calories/day, there just isn't much time for socializing!
Perhaps this particular bear may have simply been wired differently. Or perhaps it had some early conditioning where people didn't seem to create the typical response. I think this bear might have also had access to campground food.
I've heard that sometimes bears can be curious when they're not foraging. I heard a story about a bear researcher in a lookout spotting a bear and the people walking in a trail around it. It always seemed to be alert to the presence of humans and moved around before the humans seemed to notice it. It wasn't foraging for food and allegedly displayed a curiosity for the people on the trail, but from a distance.
August 19, 2009 04:30PM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 1,942 |
Quote
y_p_w
Perhaps this particular bear may have simply been wired differently. Or perhaps it had some early conditioning where people didn't seem to create the typical response. I think this bear might have also had access to campground food.
It just doesn't seem like a good idea to anthropomorphize the behavior of these animals. I think we get by in the backcountry just because the bears don't quite know what to make of the weird human creature with a strange hump and unusual smells. If they knew the great fat content and caloric value of humans, we would be toast.
The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan
August 25, 2009 03:06PM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 1,942 |
follow-up grizzly cub death:
http://www.nps.gov/glac/parknews/news09-59-reissued.htm
Darted Grizzly Bear Yearling Died From Internal Bleeding
(Editor's Note) Glacier National Park officials wish to clarify that the death of the grizzly yearling on August 17th was indeed attributed to the tranquilizer dart injection field operation to immobilize the two grizzly yearlings at Old Man Lake in the Upper Two Medicine Valley. According to the necropsy report, the precise cause of the internal bleeding is unknown. It is not known if the yearling’s jugular vein was severed when the bear moved or perhaps when it fell, but the dart was directly involved in the bear’s unfortunate death. Click here to view the necropsy report. The following excerpt is reprinted verbatim from the necropsy report:
“Although the initial wound created by the dart was close to the jugular vein, it did not appear to hit it directly. Two possibilities exist that may have resulted in the laceration of the jugular vein. First, because of its proximity to the right humerus, the dart would have been likely to move around as the bear walked. This motion may have been what allowed the sharp dart tip to lacerate the jugular vein. Another possibility to consider is that the force of the drug being expelled from the dart under pressure tore the jugular vein.”
WEST GLACIER, MONT. – A necropsy (animal autopsy) determined that the grizzly bear yearling that died after being darted by park rangers on Monday August 17, 2009, died from internal bleeding. The results show the bear did not die from the actual darting, but from a subsequent laceration to the jugular vein. The necropsy was not able to determine exactly how the vein was ruptured. The necropsy was performed by Jennifer Ramsey, Wildlife Veterinarian with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
Necropsy findings indicate that the bear cub died of acute hemorrhage. The finding of large amounts of clotted blood, along with evidence of the body’s response to acute blood loss (empty heart, pale grey liver, contracted spleen) support this diagnosis. Although the initial wound created by the dart was close to the jugular vein, it did not appear to hit it directly. Two possibilities exist that may have resulted in the laceration of the jugular vein. First, because of its proximity to the right humerus, the dart would have been likely to move around as the bear walked. This motion may have been what allowed the sharp dart tip to lacerate the jugular vein. Another possibility to consider is that the force of the drug being expelled from the dart under pressure tore the jugular vein.
The yearling was darted as part of a bear management action to remove a 17-year-old female grizzly from the park after bear management rangers determined her to be conditioned to humans. After the female was removed on August 17, 2009, rangers darted and tranquilized her two yearlings. One cub died shortly after being tranquilized. Rangers attempted to resuscitate the yearling by performing mouth-to-nose CPR, but to no avail.
The carcass is that of yearling male grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) from Oldman Lake, Glacier National Park. This cub was caught in a snare on July 28. He was chemically immobilized with Telazol, and recovered uneventfully. On August 17 the sow had to be humanely dispatched because she posed a threat to human safety. This male cub and his sibling were both darted with Telazol. When field personnel approached this cub, they determined that he was not breathing sufficiently but still had detectable heart beat. The biologist quickly began resuscitation efforts, however the cub did not respond and died shortly thereafter.
Glacier National Park Superintendent Chas Cartwright says “The unintended death of this yearling grizzly is a very unfortunate outcome of a very difficult operation.” Glacier National Park’s internationally-vetted Bear Management Plan and Guidelines specifies that conditioned bears that display over familiarity must be removed from the wild population. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service oversees and coordinates the transfer of captive grizzlies to federally-authorized zoos and captive facilities, none of which were willing to take an adult bear. Final details are still being worked out to transfer the other yearling to the Bronx Zoo in New York.
Glacier National Park’s Bear Management Plan and Guidelines are dynamic management tools that receive periodic international peer review. As a protected species under the Endangered Species Act, the decision to remove the family of grizzlies was not taken lightly, but was the result of Glacier’s ongoing coordination with the USFWS, the agency charged with administering the Endangered Species Act.
- NPS -
The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan
http://www.nps.gov/glac/parknews/news09-59-reissued.htm
Darted Grizzly Bear Yearling Died From Internal Bleeding
(Editor's Note) Glacier National Park officials wish to clarify that the death of the grizzly yearling on August 17th was indeed attributed to the tranquilizer dart injection field operation to immobilize the two grizzly yearlings at Old Man Lake in the Upper Two Medicine Valley. According to the necropsy report, the precise cause of the internal bleeding is unknown. It is not known if the yearling’s jugular vein was severed when the bear moved or perhaps when it fell, but the dart was directly involved in the bear’s unfortunate death. Click here to view the necropsy report. The following excerpt is reprinted verbatim from the necropsy report:
“Although the initial wound created by the dart was close to the jugular vein, it did not appear to hit it directly. Two possibilities exist that may have resulted in the laceration of the jugular vein. First, because of its proximity to the right humerus, the dart would have been likely to move around as the bear walked. This motion may have been what allowed the sharp dart tip to lacerate the jugular vein. Another possibility to consider is that the force of the drug being expelled from the dart under pressure tore the jugular vein.”
WEST GLACIER, MONT. – A necropsy (animal autopsy) determined that the grizzly bear yearling that died after being darted by park rangers on Monday August 17, 2009, died from internal bleeding. The results show the bear did not die from the actual darting, but from a subsequent laceration to the jugular vein. The necropsy was not able to determine exactly how the vein was ruptured. The necropsy was performed by Jennifer Ramsey, Wildlife Veterinarian with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
Necropsy findings indicate that the bear cub died of acute hemorrhage. The finding of large amounts of clotted blood, along with evidence of the body’s response to acute blood loss (empty heart, pale grey liver, contracted spleen) support this diagnosis. Although the initial wound created by the dart was close to the jugular vein, it did not appear to hit it directly. Two possibilities exist that may have resulted in the laceration of the jugular vein. First, because of its proximity to the right humerus, the dart would have been likely to move around as the bear walked. This motion may have been what allowed the sharp dart tip to lacerate the jugular vein. Another possibility to consider is that the force of the drug being expelled from the dart under pressure tore the jugular vein.
The yearling was darted as part of a bear management action to remove a 17-year-old female grizzly from the park after bear management rangers determined her to be conditioned to humans. After the female was removed on August 17, 2009, rangers darted and tranquilized her two yearlings. One cub died shortly after being tranquilized. Rangers attempted to resuscitate the yearling by performing mouth-to-nose CPR, but to no avail.
The carcass is that of yearling male grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) from Oldman Lake, Glacier National Park. This cub was caught in a snare on July 28. He was chemically immobilized with Telazol, and recovered uneventfully. On August 17 the sow had to be humanely dispatched because she posed a threat to human safety. This male cub and his sibling were both darted with Telazol. When field personnel approached this cub, they determined that he was not breathing sufficiently but still had detectable heart beat. The biologist quickly began resuscitation efforts, however the cub did not respond and died shortly thereafter.
Glacier National Park Superintendent Chas Cartwright says “The unintended death of this yearling grizzly is a very unfortunate outcome of a very difficult operation.” Glacier National Park’s internationally-vetted Bear Management Plan and Guidelines specifies that conditioned bears that display over familiarity must be removed from the wild population. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service oversees and coordinates the transfer of captive grizzlies to federally-authorized zoos and captive facilities, none of which were willing to take an adult bear. Final details are still being worked out to transfer the other yearling to the Bronx Zoo in New York.
Glacier National Park’s Bear Management Plan and Guidelines are dynamic management tools that receive periodic international peer review. As a protected species under the Endangered Species Act, the decision to remove the family of grizzlies was not taken lightly, but was the result of Glacier’s ongoing coordination with the USFWS, the agency charged with administering the Endangered Species Act.
- NPS -
The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan
August 19, 2009 01:56PM | Admin Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 17,051 |
Glacier National Park
Rangers Shoot Habituated Grizzly Deemed Dangerous To Visitors
The “Oldman Lake Bear,” a female grizzly bear that had become highly habituated and had a history of potentially dangerous interactions with humans going back to 2004, was seen heading toward the backcountry campground at Oldman Lake with her two yearling cubs on the afternoon of August 17th. Park staff had been monitoring the bear and rangers were about to close the occupied campground when they saw her approaching. Given her most recent display of over-familiarity and her history of habituation, it had been determined that she presented an unacceptable threat to human health and safety. She was accordingly shot by the rangers, who then darted and tranquilized the two yearlings. One cub died shortly after being tranquilized for unknown reasons. The rangers attempted to resuscitate the yearling by performing mouth to nose CPR, but to no avail. A necropsy (animal autopsy) will be conducted to determine cause of death. The park’s internationally vetted bear management plan and guidelines specify that conditioned bears that display over familiarity must be removed from the wild population. No zoos or other federally-authorized captive facilities were willing to take an adult bear at this time. So far in 2009, three separate incidents had been documented wherein the female grizzly exhibited behavior that could be classified as “repeatedly and purposefully approaches humans in a non-defensive situation.” The female was again demonstrating this same behavior on Monday afternoon. Over the past five years, the female had repeatedly frequented the Morning Star and Old Man Lake backcountry campgrounds, both in the Two Medicine/Cut Bank area. During that time, she produced two sets of offspring. Throughout this period, both the mother grizzly and her offspring approached hikers, forcing them off trails, came into cooking areas while people yelled and waved their arms at the bears, and sniffed at tents during the night. Numerous efforts were attempted to haze the female and her offspring away from backcountry campsites. Since 2004, a variety of aversive conditioning techniques were used to discourage the bear and her young from human interactions. Rangers used noise, Karelian bear dogs, and other non-lethal stimuli to encourage the grizzly to keep away from humans and backcountry campgrounds.
Rangers Shoot Habituated Grizzly Deemed Dangerous To Visitors
The “Oldman Lake Bear,” a female grizzly bear that had become highly habituated and had a history of potentially dangerous interactions with humans going back to 2004, was seen heading toward the backcountry campground at Oldman Lake with her two yearling cubs on the afternoon of August 17th. Park staff had been monitoring the bear and rangers were about to close the occupied campground when they saw her approaching. Given her most recent display of over-familiarity and her history of habituation, it had been determined that she presented an unacceptable threat to human health and safety. She was accordingly shot by the rangers, who then darted and tranquilized the two yearlings. One cub died shortly after being tranquilized for unknown reasons. The rangers attempted to resuscitate the yearling by performing mouth to nose CPR, but to no avail. A necropsy (animal autopsy) will be conducted to determine cause of death. The park’s internationally vetted bear management plan and guidelines specify that conditioned bears that display over familiarity must be removed from the wild population. No zoos or other federally-authorized captive facilities were willing to take an adult bear at this time. So far in 2009, three separate incidents had been documented wherein the female grizzly exhibited behavior that could be classified as “repeatedly and purposefully approaches humans in a non-defensive situation.” The female was again demonstrating this same behavior on Monday afternoon. Over the past five years, the female had repeatedly frequented the Morning Star and Old Man Lake backcountry campgrounds, both in the Two Medicine/Cut Bank area. During that time, she produced two sets of offspring. Throughout this period, both the mother grizzly and her offspring approached hikers, forcing them off trails, came into cooking areas while people yelled and waved their arms at the bears, and sniffed at tents during the night. Numerous efforts were attempted to haze the female and her offspring away from backcountry campsites. Since 2004, a variety of aversive conditioning techniques were used to discourage the bear and her young from human interactions. Rangers used noise, Karelian bear dogs, and other non-lethal stimuli to encourage the grizzly to keep away from humans and backcountry campgrounds.
August 19, 2009 02:02PM | Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 1,372 |
Grizzly Bear Killed 300 Yards from Occupied Oldman Lake Campground
http://www.nps.gov/glac/parknews/news09-54.htm
http://www.nps.gov/glac/parknews/news09-54.htm
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