for the sake of the bears and to keep the bears from having to wander far
and raid summer resorts. Not to do so is irresponsible.

Wildlife Watch would like to see an investigation by the NYS Legislature into BOW's management of bears. If it is found that it has played a role in the death of the child, then this bureau, even the State must be held accountable.         


Humane Society of the United States Humane Lines August 29, 2002

BEAR HUNTS ARE NOT THE SOLUTION:
The tragic mauling of a five-month old baby by a black bear in New York State has provoked a variety of responses. Some have called for educating residents of bear country to avoid habituating bears to humans, while others, unfortunately, have called for a bear hunt. Although New York has long permitted a bear hunt, neighboring New Jersey has not, and hunters in that state are trying to capitalize on the New York tragedy to get one implemented.

The reality is that black bear attacks on humans are exceedingly rare; the past decade has seen only a handful of reported incidents, despite the steady encroachment of humans into bear country.  Instituting a bear hunt will do nothing to prevent human-bear conflicts.  Such conflicts result when bears become habituated to humans, who feed
them or let bears eat their garbage. The mauling in New York is just such an example: the bear involved was found with garbage in his belly. The bear hunts, however, target non-nuisance animals living far from human development.

A much more reasonable and effective route to avoiding conflict is aversive conditioning, which teaches bears to fear and avoid humans, alongside education of how people should behave in bear country.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Please contact New Jersey's governor to respectfully request that he not give in to
trophy hunters who are attempting to use this terrible incident for their own gain:
The Honorable James E. McGreevey
The State House
P.O. Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625
ph: 609 292 6000
Send an email through: http://www.state.nj.us/governor/govmail.html
                                            _____________________

August 21, 2002
Letter to the Editor
With the tragic death of a Brooklyn baby girl by a black bear in the Catskills, it is vitally important to review the methods which can keep bears at a distance. While these bears are generally timid and avoid human contact, they easily lose their natural fear of people when food is left around homes and recreational areas. Sadly but notably, a recent news article quoted a youth who stated that near the summer colony where the baby died, garbage was readily accessible to bears who ate from it every evening. This claim was confirmed in a subsequent article which reported that an analysis of the contents of the bear's stomach revealed garbage and human food. (Emphasis added.  We recollect from a study of Yellowstone grizzlies that  closing garbage dumps suddenly is probably not a good idea, especially in the autumn and early spring when the bears' nutritional needs are critical.  They need a chance to adjust to finding their natural foods)

Rather than invite wildlife, including bears, by providing a buffet of human food, following a few simple tips will go a long way to prevent future tragedies:

1. utilize bear- proof trash cans and keep them in an inaccessible area ( i.e.: garage)

2. If garbage- pick up is scheduled for the morning, do not leave it overnight but place it on the curb during the day just 1 or two hours prior to removal.

3. Feed dogs and cats inside the home and store their food inside as well.

4.Remove bird feeders if they attract bears.

5.Eliminate attractive food aromas by cleaning and storing barbecue grills after each use (remember the grease trap ) and, for the same reason, do not burn garbage or place food scraps in the compost pile.

6. Leave soiled diapers and diaper pails inside.

7. Install electrified fencing to prevent access to bee hives and protect bee- keepers.

To learn more on preventing bear acclimation to people please call The Fund for
Animals. We offer a Wildlife Hotline (203) 393-1050 which provides non- lethal, long term solutions free of charge to callers who have concerns about wildlife issues.

Our deepest condolences and sympathy go out to the baby's bereaved family.

Sincerely,
Dora Schomberg
The Fund for Animals
Albany, NY

Respect wild animals
August 29, 2002
J. MICHAEL KELLY
OUTDOORS WRITER  who usually writes about hunting and fishing
Most of the media accounts I've seen emphasize the rarity of such events, but that fatal bear attack in Sullivan County was bound to happen sooner or later for the simple reason that too many people pay too little respect to wild animals.

The average adult black bear tips the scales at 300 pounds. Bears can run at speeds of more than 30 mph and climb trees like squirrels. Anybody with an ounce of sense would try to stay clear of such beasts.
Yet, every year home owners and campers in the Catskills and Adirondacks unwittingly do their utmost to lure bears into smell-your-breath range.
These careless folks litter candy wrappers on hiking trails, leave half-finished plates of food by their tents, fill back-country bird feeders to overflowing, and put their trash in leaking plastic bags.
Black bears subsist mainly on nuts, fruit, insects and tender greens, but have been known to eat just about anything, including refuse, carrion and small animals.
While it's doubtful that the young bear that snatched 5-month-old Ester Schwimmer from her stroller on Aug. 19 had a yen for human flesh, the experts who autopsied the animal after it was shot found pieces of foil and other evidence of garbage-eating in its digestive tract.
Perhaps the bear, weaned on table scraps, was drawn to the infant by the sweet smells of milk or baby food. We'll never know, but there is ample cause for suspicion.
On the North American Bear Center web site, Minnesota wildlife biologist Lynn L. Rogers responded to the Catskill tragedy by noting that for every person on the continent who is killed by a black bear, 45 are killed by dogs, 120 by bees, 250 by lightning and 60,000 by homicide.
In the last century, Rogers said, only 50 humans were killed by black bears. Almost all of those attacks were unprovoked and occurred in remote areas where bruins previously had little or no contact with people.
Of course, there's an exception to every rule.
While there is no such thing as a bad bear, bears often behave badly when they're hungry. The Department of Environmental Conservation's regional offices in the Adirondacks, Catskills and Southern Tier field hundreds of "nuisance bear" complaints annually, and most of those incidents are rooted in a bruin's growling stomach.
Nuisance problems tend to peak during drought years like this one because dry weather yields a paucity of berries, nuts and mushrooms. Bears must wander farther than usual to find enough to eat, and the quest frequently puts them in close proximity with people.

UPDATE  May 2003
I turned on an outside balcony light expecting to see a raccoon, and
saw instead one of last year's bear cubs, now half-grown, on the other side of the glass door.  S/he teetered on a shaky plank "bridge" but opted to climb down nearby sapling.   I switched on another outdoor light in time to see mother, now sans collar, ambling up steps to breezeway as if she lived here.  Somebody pawed in open buckets of peat moss and lime, but no damage done.  I didn't say a word. Glad to see they were OK.  It means I'm going to have to be careful about leaving inner doors open for ventilation when I'm away or in bed because the screen doors will not present much of an obstacle if they smell something good.

People in the area have complained of knocked over bird feeders but
not too loudly.  There seems to be more interest than fear.  As long as mutual respect is maintained, all should go well except that hunting season looms in the fall.  If only we could all be like the Oweekeno!