How to Get a Bear to Go Away Without Killing Him

Last Friday evening a large black bear found his way into a residential neighborhood right near the center of town here in the Ojai Valley north of Los Angeles. When he realized he was being noticed, the bear took refuge about thirty feet up a big pine tree, where he remained through the night and all the following day. The police cordoned off the street but many sightseers gathered and news of the bear’s presence radiated throughout the town.
The police and all the people wanted nothing but the best for the bear. Everyone hoped he would come down after nightfall and find his way back into the hills; or that the authorities would tranquilize him and transport him far into the back country.
But the California Fish and Game department arrived on the scene, and they had other ideas. When night fell the officers got impatient and shot the bear with a tranquilizer dart even though he was still high in the tree. This only drove the bear higher up. So they shot him with more darts until he lost his grip and fell over backwards, all 400 pounds, and came crashing through the branches to earth. Whatever life remained in him was “euthanized” away.
The whole town is consumed with grief at this outcome.
What lessons shall we draw from this parable of modern man’s relationship with a predator in our midst?
Perhaps there are clues in Olivia’s beautiful essay, casting a kaleidoscopic light in so many directions.— David E. Moody
24. October 14, 2009 2:32 am Link
Olivia, how are you so excellent?
And what then of the things we are even less evolved to fear than mosquitoes? Mercury in the water, carbon in the air? Perhaps the same intelligence and society that has led to suicide has led to us having an appropriate fear?
But I think not, given how much we continue to be afraid in the face of predators and unafraid in the face of mosquitoes. And that is scary, because we create the pollution we are under-afraid of.— Eric
25. October 14, 2009 2:46 am Link
Further evidence for the observation that other humans have long been a bigger danger - we are easily, deeply afraid in situations where we feel threatened or the possibility of threat from other people. Go to the reportedly “bad” neighborhoods of the world, by yourself, at night, and feel it for yourself.
I can tell you though, that predator fear perhaps still reigns supreme. In the mountains this summer, I stood trapped between a ledge above with a cat-figure slinking it’s way around, watching us from behind bushes, and a ledge below falling off into a lake. It was an eternity.
I felt i was being the calm and collected one in our little clan of five, defended only by a hatchet and a can of bear spray (and do mountain lions respond to bear spray? could we pull the trigger quick enough?). But when at last the figure stepped into full moonlight and we discovered that our mountain lion was a mountain goat, I realized I was shaking uncontrolably, and could not turn it off for half an hour.— Eric
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