Castle Creek Outfitters
Minnesota Black Bear and Whitetail Guide Service.
Bear with jar on head shot in
busy town
The wanderings of a
black bear for six days with a plastic food jar covering its head came to a
deadly end in northern Minnesota, when authorities killed the hungry and
thirsty animal in a town bustling with visitors.
The wanderings of a black bear
for six days with a plastic food jar covering its head came to a deadly end in
northern Minnesota, when authorities killed the hungry and thirsty animal in a
town bustling with visitors.
The bear, a male about 2 years
old, was shot by police in Frazee on Saturday night as the town was celebrating
Turkey Days.
"With all the people around
... you're never sure what the outcome is going to be," said Rob Naplin, a
wildlife supervisor for the state Department of Natural Resources in Park
Rapids.
Naplin said efforts were made to
trap the bear as it moved from spots in or near Itasca State Park. At one
point, the
Naplin said the bear "was in
pretty tough condition after not being able to eat or drink for several
days" with the 2.5-gallon plastic jar over its head. He said the jar is
the type that holds candy or popcorn and can be bought at large discount
stores.
As what could have been done to
prevent this scenario, Naplin said, "We're always encouraging the public
to manage their refuse properly. Bears are opportunist feeders. They get access
to human food, they don't know whether it's good for them or not."
Naplin gave this account of the
bear's movements in Hubbard and Becker counties:
On July 21, a woman called
authorities to say she saw an animal -- possibly a bear or a dog -- run across
a road south of Lake George with a jar on its head and heading west toward
Itasca State Park.
On July 22, the bear was spotted
at trash bins near the park's east entrance.
On July 23, a park observation
tower staff member spotted the bear.
On July 24, a citing was reported
at a Boy Scout camp at Many Point Lake, west of Itasca State Park, then near
Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge, where authorities there were alerted.
Saturday morning, the bear was
spotted 5 miles east of Detroit Lakes, then it came into Frazee that night. It
was then, Naplin said, that police there were authorized to "dispatch the
animal."
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482