Page 18 - Sentinel June 2018

BEAR WISE
When is a Dog a Bear?
Greetings, black bear enthusiasts. And for all you It was recently reported that a family in China had to give up
not so enthusiastic about this the “puppy” they adopted two years ago when it turned out to
whole bears-living-in-your- be an Asiatic black bear. Apparently the family bought what
yard thing... just remember, they thought was a Tibetan mastiff puppy and were quickly sur-
we were here first. prised at how much the apparent canine ate -- a box of fruit and
two buckets of noodles per day. You go, dude!
June is Colorado’s “Leave The family became suspicious when their “pet” didn’t stop
your full garbage containers growing and they realized it might not be a dog at all when the
out all night month.” Not re- 250-pound animal started walking on its hind legs - a dead give-
ally, but a bear can dream, away unless you’re a circus dog. The family contacted a local
can’t he? Actually, recent wildlife rescue center, which confirmed their suspicions that the
evidence (garbage strewn “dog” was a bear. The bear whom I named “ Brilliant” is now
on lawns and streets in area in the care of the area wildlife center. We bears have poor eye
neighborhoods) seems to sight, so you’ll have to tell me, do you see a resemblance?
confirm that some of you do
believe in leaving your gar-
bage cans out all night. This
is a big no-no in bear-burgs like ours. Even though I appreciate
the gesture, feeding us bears (intentionally and unintendedly) is
a recipe for trouble. Please follow bear season (April -Novem-
ber) garbage container rules: Put garbage cans out no more than
2 hours before expected pickup (by the trash truck- not us.)
Also, if you haven’t done so yet, please consider purchasing
a “bear proof” garbage container. This will turn your garbage
can into a garbage “can’t” as in – we can’t access your rubbish
as an easy meal. Yes, there is an added cost for the purchase,
but amortized over your lifetime, it’s just pennies a day! You’ll
feel good about doing your part to help keep us healthier and
everyone safer from mishaps. In return we bear will excite you
with our chance sightings and if you are lucky enough, a swim
in your pond, pool, or hot tub.

Bear News
A five-year-old Grand Junction, Colorado, girl attacked by a
black bear outside her home over the weekend of May 12th is
expected to make a full recovery, officials said. Not so for the
bear that attacked her who was killed by the Department of
Wildlife shortly after the assault.

It seems the five-year-old kiddo left the safety of her den
(home) at 2:30 a.m. to investigate noises in her back yard. Af-
ter this very young tike wandered outside unsupervised (never
a good thing), she encountered the bear (bears are often active
at night). The bear was most likely surprised and chose to at-
tack rather than retreat. It wasn’t until the mother went outside
after hearing her daughter’s cries and screamed at the bear that
it ran away.
Send your bear stories, questions and pictures to me at:
The wilderness boundaries that once separated us bears from wisebeary@gmail.com
you humans are shrinking each year as suburban sprawl con-
tinues to encroach on our once uninhabited forests. As bear/ Until next time, if your dog eats like a bear, walks on his hind
human encounters become more common, we all need to take legs and climbs trees, it might be time for a second opinion.
additional steps to ensure our safety. Always use extra cau-
tion when outdoors, especially after dark. The best rule – make Your friend in the forest,
yourself known by making noise. Surprise is never a good Beary
thing unless it’s your birthday party.

Page 18 - June 2018 Perry Park Sentinel