Score one for wildlife.
Washington State Department Fish and Wildlife officials plan to reopen Banner Forest Heritage Park today, which had been closed since a Labor Day weekend bear attack.
Fish and Wildlife officers began removing baited bear traps from the park Friday. Even if the officers caught the bear over the weekend, they had made the decision to relocate it, rather than kill it, which had been the initial plan after the attack.
On Sept. 2, Anthony Blasioli was riding his mountain bike on a trail in the Kitsap County park with his two dogs. The man’s dogs were in front of him on the trail when he heard them barking. He came around a corner and was face to face with a black bear. The bear charged the man, who picked up his bike and tried to protect himself with it. The bear reached through and tore the man’s arm, face, back, neck and ear. The bear stopped the attack, the man was able to ride out, and help was called.
Blasioli is now home, after spending days in the intensive care unit. According to news reports, he’s concerned the bear hasn’t been found because he doesn’t want it to attack anyone else.
No one wants anyone else attacked by a bear, but killing one just because a man was attacked makes no sense. The man said the bear was a male, and described some markings to officials. But there is no certainty that if a bear was caught, it would be the same one that attacked Blasioli.
Black bears are timid and rarely attack. It’s logical, however, that a bear might attack when two dogs are barking at it. Killing a bear after an attack such as this one would only serve a need for revenge. There’s no evidence such a bear would then go on to carry out unprovoked attacks against humans. The bear was reacting as a bear should. There’s no defensible reason to kill a bear for acting like a bear. It was in its natural habitat, not walking down a street. The bear was likely provoked by the dogs, and probably surprised by the sudden appearance of the bike rider.
We hope for Blasioli’s full recovery, but an injured human is not reason enough to justify the “kill” policy. Better that wildlife officials would reiterate basic rules to be followed out in nature: Keep dogs leashed, or leave them home. Carry pepper spray. Make lots of noise along the trail, which will warn bears of your presence and they will steer clear. If a bear comes toward you, drop to the fetal position and play dead.
We’re glad all the black bears in the park avoided the baited bear traps. Wildlife officials need to rethink this reactionary kill policy.
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