Where Bears Belong

Today is a day for blogging.

On the way to work today I heard on the news that a black bear that had been wandering around the northern suburbs and sleeping in trees was shot by a conservation officer. What I found most disturbing was the quote from the officer. ""We wanted to let him go back where he belongs, but he kept moving further south on us,'' said John Hunt, DNR East Metro supervisor.

Yes, that's right. "Where he belongs." Clearly wild animals have no place with humans. Nature is all great when it does what we tell it to. Listen, if the bear was in Roseville or White Bear Lake then that is where it belongs. I don't move to Duluth and then go, "Oh my! There are BEARS here? Let's kill them all. I mean, I LIVE here!"

They decided to kill the bear (instead of moving it) because it had no fear of humans. Yes, yes, we like to kill animals that don't fear us eh? Nature is all good as long as we can control it.

Mark LaBarbera, DNR director of communications, elaborated, "We gave him five days to leave, and he just wouldn't. It's crazy he stayed around.''

Crazy indeed.

~Kirk