Posted on 02/10/2005 7:59:36 AM PST by SmithL
TAHOMA - Public reaction to the shooting Friday of three bears - a mother and two yearling cubs hibernating beneath a west Lake Tahoe cabin - is so intense the homeowners who authorized it fear for their lives.
"It's a nightmare - every other call is a threat from someone who's going to burn down my cabin or shoot me on sight," Russ Tonda said Wednesday.
Several weeks ago, the Granite Bay man and his wife discovered about $100,000 in damage to a cabin they've owned for 40 years in the Chamberlands neighborhood here. The culprits apparently were the bears, which had entered the crawl space through an unsecured door.
The bear family had helped themselves to food from the pantry and to couch cushions and blankets from the beds.
"It was the worst damage I've ever seen in a house," said Ann Bryant, director of the 900-member BEAR League, which works to help people and bears live in harmony.
Called by Placer County sheriff's deputies, Bryant discovered the adult bear, a small sow sleepily looking up from a red comforter. With her flashlight, Bryant did not spot the two blond yearling cubs apparently behind their mother.
The Tondas initially decided to leave the bear alone and with Bryant's help, secured a trapdoor into the house by placing heavy furniture and firewood on it.
Tonda said Bryant advised him and his wife to leave the bear undisturbed. "She said if we chased it out, it would not survive in the elements," he said.
But the insurance company refused inspection until the bear was gone, and Tonda contacted state Department of Fish and Game officials. Learning they wouldn't move the bear, he obtained a permit and hired three men to shoot the animal.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Evidently the bears didn't s..t in the woods.
Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."
The homeowners should have waited until after they were mauled by the bears.
We have a constitutional right to arm bears!......
They should have kept their porridge suspended from a tree.
Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."
"which had entered the crawl space through an unsecured door."
No sympathy for the owners. Given their stupidity, being forced to leave the bears until srping would have been a good way for them to learn to make sure the place was locked up tight.
Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."
Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."
The only good bear is a dead bear.
"which had entered the crawl space through an unsecured door."
No sympathy for the owners. Given their stupidity, being forced to leave the bears until srping would have been a good way for them to learn to make sure the place was locked up tight.
I agree! My question is, whatever happened to tranquilizing and relocating animals? I see this all the time on Croc Hunter. Should have called ol' Steve Irwin.
Just big varmits...and now warm rugs.
Can you really secure a cabin from bear invasion? Considering they have the strength to rip doors off of automobiles.
"They secured their back country house the best they could."
Actually, no they didn't.
"which had entered the crawl space through an unsecured door."
The threats of violence are ridiculous. But, these people didn't have the bears killed for anyone's safety, they had them killed so they could get the insurance people in there right away.
I wouldn't exactly call anything in the Lake Tahoe area "back country".
"This couch cushion is too soft."
"This couch cushion is too hard."
"This couch cushion is just right."
"Considering they have the strength to rip doors off of automobiles."
Grizzlies or polar bears maybe, I doubt these were either.
Unfortunately for the poor bears, they had no fear of humans. Fear of humans is a good thing in a wild animal. Hunting season teaches the survivors the place of humanity in the food chain.
Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."
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