Thursday 4 February 2016

Bear killed in Muskoka

What a surprise to see
a bear in our backyard!
 (2013)


We had a bear in our yard: What a surprise to see a bear in the backyard! (April, 2013)
We ignored him, and he ignored us. I saw another last Spring, he just moved along snuffing around for food.

Our neighbour had a bear steal a bag of bird seed from out of the back of his truck not long ago! They move one. 
He was walking past the Bear Crossing sign! (2013)

This ignorant man (65-year-old John Marks) shot the bear on his front lawn, in Bracebridge, Muskoka Region, Central Ontario. This is a residential area. It was on November 1st, 2015. There is lots of press about it, with many upset townsfolk.

Google has some fine photos.

I've been there. On the other side of the trees is the parking lot for FYCSM, Children's Aid Muskoka.
It is a terrible saga. The cubs crying, nuzzling their dead mother's body. They thought one cub was wounded, as it sat stuck in a tree.

The police arrived, and they found him with a high-powered rifle, and a dead bear, her two cubs were up a tree. They were taken tcare of by Bear With Us, Bear Sanctuary.

He's been charged with careless use of a firearm, unlawfully discharging a firearm without due care and attention for people of property, shooting across a road, hunting without a licence.
1 Pinewood, Gravenhurst

~~~~~~~~~~~
MOTHER BEAR FATALLY SHOT | by Mary Beth Hartill
...mother bear and her cubs had been spotted feeding in the Bracebridge area on various things, including crabapples from area trees, by several residents over the past few weeks.

 

Accused bear killer facing four new charges in Bracebridge

On the garage is a sign 
A Bracebridge man accused of killing a black bear by shooting it on his front lawn is facing four new charges. The new charges have been laid by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
~~~~~~~~~~
This is a Facebook message from Bear With Us:
Firefighters, volunteers, Bear With Us peeps,
as well as much equipment was involved.
Bracebridge Bear Cubs - Update. This past Sunday evening a female bear was shot for no reason by an inconsiderate man with a gun. This person bragged to police about killing one of the bear's three cubs. The bear was shot in a residential area putting other residents at risk from flying bullets. This was an experienced and mature mother bear. Her cubs are large for their age. 


Our primary concern is to catch the cub that was injured(possibly) by the shooter with the gun. We would suspect the mother bear may have already picked out a den for her family before she died. Her large healthy cubs are not in any immediate danger except for humans. The young bears are not a danger to anyone. They are most likely terrified and bewildered orphans. We would like to know the whereabouts of the cubs especially the presumed injured cub (pictured). We do not want to catch the healthy cubs, break up the family and further jeopardize the injured cub. The cubs have moved away from the area their mother was killed. 
cast of thousands...

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (Bracebridge) personnel are very interested in seeing a positive outcome for the little bears. The MNRF and the Police are doing what they can to make sure justice is served. The family of bears had wandered through parts of town without causing a disturbance, their only sin (not really) was eating apples from local trees. It is a shame an obviously good mother bear had to have her life ended in such a cold and thoughtless manner. The bears should have been left alone with no interference from people because they had not caused any reason for concern to justify human interference. 


  Bear With Us Update Dec.18 2015 from Bear With Us for Bears-Vimeo on Vimeo.

12 comments:

eileeninmd said...

What a sad story! I feel sorry for the cubs!

Christine said...

Such sad news Jenn.

Out To Pasture said...

Sad for the bear's murder and sad that the human has such a thoughtless and cruel brain!

William Kendall said...

The sign on the garage is hardly a surprise, given the story. They should throw the book at the jerk.

Nancy J said...

I hope he gets treated equally as harshly, how dare he shoot the mother!!! I hope they rescue all the cubs and they get well looked after.Sounds as though they are not babies, and the outcome is good.I, too, am against this so much.Starve the shooter, go back to the old " tar and feather" and drag him down many streets.

Powell River Books said...

When fall comes and there's fruit on the trees, bears are a problem in Powell River. Everyone is warned to strip their fruit and to keep garbage cans indoors, but bears still break into gardens. If a bears becomes a habitual problem they are killed by the Conservation Officer. Last year was a really bad year, with 13 bears killed in town. - Margy

Red said...

What an idiot! Here there's usually a quick response to get a bear out of urban areas and back to the country.

Cynthia said...

That's so sad. There must be something wrong with the man to shoot a bear that isn't a threat, knowing he could hurt innocent bystanders. I'm k need of confused on when this happened. If it is a current news story, I'm wondering why they weren't hibernating. Can the Cubs make it on their own at this stage?

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Sickening... glad there are voices for those without. YAM xx

Olga said...

I saw a bear walking through the field behind the house only once in twenty years there. My husband happened to be away that weekend and he was devastated not to have seen it. Our neighbors across the road (maybe about 2 football fields worth) saw bears regularly in the spring. That is kind of how much the bears stick to their corridor.

Jenn Jilks said...

I have yet to figure out what happened to the cubs, too! There were 3, he killed one. sigh.

Jenn Jilks said...

That is very sad, Margy. That's what they do in the parks here, too. If they are a problem, they shoot them. We've had very few crazy bears, though.