Mama bear didn’t deserve her fate
Re: “Bear euthanized after injuring person on morning walk, wildlife officials say,” May 27 news story
The Post reported that a black bear was euthanized in Steamboat Springs after swiping at, hitting, and knocking to the ground a resident who was on a walking path. The report goes on to say that the victim finished their walk after the attack.
What I would like Colorado Parks and Wildlife to explain is its justification for euthanizing the bear. If the act was so egregious as to warrant euthanization, why was the victim able to rise from the ground, finish their walk, and then notify authorities? If the victim had been killed, would Parks and Wildlife have ordered that the entire bear population in Colorado be wiped out?
Isn’t there some sanity in weighing other options? Sometimes it seems that we euthanize because we can since we are intellectually superior to other creatures. Our penchant for killing animals sometimes reaches far beyond practicality. Did Parks and Wildlife personnel think that by euthanizing this bear, they would prevent future attacks?
Maybe the fact that the victim encountered a bear cub just prior to being attacked has something to do with this. Maybe relocating the mother bear and her cubs would have been a better option. Or better yet, shouldn’t humans stop locating their walking paths in the bear’s habitat? Bears were probably here before us. Thus, their entitlement to the ground they inhabit seems equal, at least, to that of humans.
Alvin C. Vasicek, Mesa, Ariz.
I again just read a small article about a bear being euthanized in the Steamboat Springs area because of an encounter with a human — no matter that the person suffered no major wounds (thank goodness) and that cubs were noted to be nearby.
I am so tired of our state agencies that continue to make these quick decisions to, in my opinion, appease us humans by euthanizing wildlife when these incidents occur. I would guess the bear was merely protecting her own (as we would do) and certainly did not deserve her fate.
People walking in areas we share with other species should always carry bear spray and noise-making objects to minimize the chance of these encounters. If we see a cub or adult bear in the distance, we should also make every effort to back away quietly and select another route, if possible. Why are we deciding to kill the animal at all? Unless there is evidence of a “rogue” continuously preying on others, I find it hard to understand this decision!
Let the poor creature get on with his/her life, which was taken merely because of a chance encounter. This is likely to happen more and more as humans encroach on the territory in which wildlife still tries to live.
Diane Silver, Broomfield
Environmentally friendly and “delightful” lawn service
Re: “Municipalities turning to goats for wildfire prevention,” May 27 news story
I’ve lived in a neighborhood adjacent to Bible Park for decades. Years ago, we, too, had goats for weed control. They were a delightful solution. I’d jog around the Highline Canal path and admire the goat herd as they happily munched away without noise or air pollution. The neighborhood children giddily crowded around the goats and talked to the pleasant goatherd.
Sadly, the goats disappeared, and the loud mowers returned without explanation.
Bring the goats back this summer.
John Amari, Denver
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