Vehement comments

Reflection after the shooting of a black bear in London.

I know that some of the most vicious and vehement comments I’ve received during the past (and most likely the future) related to stories involving animals. The most recent example were comments sent to me by the London-raised actress Megan Park (who stars in the ABC TV series The Secret Life of the American Teenager), who in response to a column about a local beaver trapper, wrote that, “I would like to see you trap yourself and find out how it feels to have your vertebrae crushed slowly and painfully while you slip into an irreversible state of unconsciousness.”

Why do animals provoke such intense feelings with certain people?

Size matters

Upper Humber Rod and Gun Club prepares for 23rd Big Game Trophy Competition.

There are three main categories at the competition: moose antlers, woodland caribou antlers and black bear skulls.

Judges score the antlers by measuring their width, height and circumference while the bear skulls’ height and width are measured.

He said the competition highlights the importance of wildlife to the province and its people.

“It’s important that we promote our wildlife and wildlife activities. We are a hunting society. It helps to keep this going,” said Randell.

Bear death

Parks Canada study finds 94 per cent of black bear deaths in mountain national parks are caused by humans.

Nigel Douglas of the Alberta Wilderness Association said the findings are alarming and raise concerns about the Parks Canada plan to boost visits 20 per cent over the next decade.

“They will get more and more visits and more and more traffic, and presumably more and more mortalities,” he said. “The parks have to find a balance between managing for wildlife and managing for people.”

Canadian bear expert Stephen Herrero said the report outlines “an ethical situation that is both sad and ironic” because it shows that parks are not a safe refuge for bears.

“There’s hardly a black bear that dies in a national park of natural causes,” he said.