Bear shot dead by police

[bushman]

They killed a bear that wandered into the city - no big deal. These protestors should go home and take a nap - wonder if they would be out in full force if that bear had trashed their house or killed something of theirs. MNR didn't respond in time so cops took over. They did what they could - what if they waited around for the MNR to show up and the bear ran across a highway and caused a major collision? We live on the bears land but the bear has no business in the city, especially one like Toronto with many uneducated people. Too bad for the bear but what else was to be done in this situation?

Exactly, couldn't agree more. Take it one step further even!! Imagine if it had mauled or killed someone! Then that too would be put on the Leo's. Unfortunately a no win situation for all involved, including the bear. Smoky verses smokies and smoky lost. Just wondering? Where there any murders, rapes, muggings or children molested in the same time frame, in the same city??? Unfortunately , I imagine there was. Did anyone protest or demonstrate or call anybody out demanding answers?? I can almost guarantee emphatically NO!!! Same old, same old "Walt Disney Syndrome ". Unfortunate but true. If societies problems received the same amount of media attention public scrutiny and dollars as " the poor critters" do, we might just be able to at least help societal woes a tiny bit. But don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen, critters are cute and cuddly and matter more than humans!! What a sad sorry time it has become when, animals tasks precedence over humanity!!

[Gern1980]

Frikin right Bushman. Well said. So one bear was shot. Some of you guys are feakin laughable. You hate the ole north versus south thing and the term citiot but man oh man sometimes it's well earned. you will attack the cops for doing their friggin jobs. Politicians yank us around and screw the resource sector by gutting the MNR and all of sudden it's their fault too. All the while revering the great beautiful bear. Ya they are cool, beautiful animals to be respected and enjoyed. We don't need to shoot them just for the sake of shooting them. Agreed. You will chasitize the northern rural resident who shoots them because "you live in their territory" and must learn to co-exist. So where is the "human territory"? Cities right? So now you are supposed to co-exist with them there too? Man is part of nature. Two eyes in front of his head. Man protected his habitat and one bear down. Too bad for the bear. Hopefully the next one will learn about where the "human territory" is before they get a 9mm sandwich......and oh by the way....plenty of bears left. Plenty!

(..and oh ya before you all get your panties in a bunch about the north south, citiot thing I fully appreciate there are good decent outdoorsman who are cursed and forced to live in the big city. Even a couple ones who actually choose to live there lol. I am not talking to you and just making a point about that general divide that comes up and why. The ones who get all worked up are the citiots I am referring to and they know who they are and are part of bigger picture I am referring to in mainstream media AND this forum)

[rick_iles]

If both the OPP and the MNRF are waffling on the issue, maybe the townships need to expand the duties of their Animal Control officers beyond house pets and livestock.

The taxpayers have the right to demand they be protected from marauding wild life....someone just has to decide who pulls the trigger.

Police are not mandated to deal with wildlife issues. The MNRF are. The facts are, Police are the only government agency that is open and available 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week. As a result, the police are left to deal with these issues. That also goes for mental health issues and a whole host of other things that have been dumped onto the police. Should they start carrying tranq weapons now as one poster thinks ? Absolutely not ! People continue to squack about bloated police budgets, but all these extra duties and responsibilities that Joe Public wants them responsible for, come at increased costs...it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that when our illustrious MNRF saw fit to stop dealing with nuisance bear issues, things would not go well for the bears. As long as MNRF shirk their responsibilities, this type of occurrence will continue. Bears in back yards equate to public safety. Police will be forced to deal with this issue as quickly and safely as possible. That's not a good thing for the bears ! I'm surprised it took as long as it did !

[Obi-wanShinobi]

I hope these situations continue to occur maybe then people will realize a need to re-instate a spring bear season.

I'm not surprised it took so long for MNR to respond. They are so under-staffed they don't even respond to poaching calls anymore.

[greatwhite]

I doubt it, seems most in the city think you can just drop off the wildlife anyplace in the country.

I hope these situations continue to occur maybe then people will realize a need to re-instate a spring bear season.

[trimmer21]

Two days for someone to actually do something is absolutely inexcusable. The Police say it's an OMNRF problem and they're right,it's their mandate. The net result is as we have seen this morning. Can you imagine the yelling,screaming and outrage if someone's kid had have been mauled or killed? TWO DAYS?? WTH?? It looks like the Police simply ran out of time and options. This mornings incident is a glaring example of complete ineptitude from the Minister on down. "Bear Wise" my a**. That's nothing but BS and bafflegab.

[MikePal]

If both the OPP and the MNRF are waffling on the issue, maybe the townships need to expand the duties of their Animal Control officers beyond house pets and livestock.

Police are not mandated to deal with wildlife issues. The MNRF are. The facts are, Police are the only government agency that is open and available 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week. As a result, the police are left to deal with these issues.

Yes and it's your township that hire the OPP to provide the service of protecting the citizens. If the OPP doesn't want to duty...then the Townships should be held responsible to hire someone who will, on a 24/7 basis. Most already have Animal Control Officers, it's just a matter of assigning duties to include wildlife that are endangering the public.

Meanwhile the 'political' finger pointing has begun...

TORONTO - The Ministry of Natural Resources has abandoned its responsibility for nuisance bears, putting public safety at risk, opposition parties charge.

Police have said repeated attempts to get a response from MNR were unsuccessful and the decision was made to shoot the bear.

“The Liberals have cut MNR to the bone,” NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Monday. “So what does it take? It takes a black bear wandering the front lawn of Queen's Park for the MNR, for the minister, to realize what a mess they've made of the situation?”

Progressive Conservative MPP Jeff Yurek said it's disappointing that the Ministry took so long to respond to the problem of a bear wandering through built-up areas.

“We knew on the weekend,” Yurek said. “I don't know why the ministry couldn't have assembled the truck with the supplies during the weekend and ready to roll first thing in the morning when they got the call from the police.”

Natural Resources Minister Bill Mauro said police are the first responders if a nuisance animal becomes a public safety concern.

"Ministry staff received a call for assistance between 6:30-7 a.m. Monday morning from police,” he said.

“When they got there the bear had already been (killed), but they were on route or they were there,” Mauro said. “I know that it's unfortunate that the bear was (killed). I'm not going to second guess the actions or the decisions of the York Regional Police in terms of how they responded to this.”

Maura said it's unfair to blame the MNR Bear Wise program, saying it still offers support and guidance to municipalities through a hotline and website.

While people would have preferred to see the animal trapped and relocated, there's no guarantee of success that the bear can be caught or that it won't promptly return, Mauro said.

“That process was in place for quite some time, it didn't have a great deal of success,” Mauro said, of the trap and release program.

Yurek said the ministry's decision to download responsibility for nuisance bears onto municipalities and police services puts the public at greater risk.

MNR was asked to respond to the Newmarket bear – in fact, was likely aware of sightings over the weekend – and yet failed to show up on time, he said.

“And it's unfortunate that the minister didn't seem to recognize that there's a problem with the organization,” Yurek said.

from: http://www.torontosun.com/2015/06/01...isk-opposition

[DaleK]

Where would folks like this bear to have been relocated to? We have more than enough of the damn things in rural Ontario.

[Rodbender]

Where would folks like this bear to have been relocated to? We have more than enough of the damn things in rural Ontario.

City hall in TO

Queens park

High park

[finsfurfeathers]

Where would folks like this bear to have been relocated to? We have more than enough of the damn things in rural Ontario.

Would offer my freezer if it would help.