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Westley, the bear seen in Weston and Wellington, shot dead in Georgia
sun-sentinal ^ | 11 August, 2009 | Rafael A. Olmeda and Joel Marino

Posted on 08/15/2009 8:17:17 AM PDT by marktwain

Westley, the wandering black bear, whose journeys brought him too close to homes in Wellington and Weston earlier this year, has died in southeast Georgia, wildlife officials said. He was 3. Westley, estimated to weigh 200 pounds, was killed by a homeowner Saturday with a shotgun after he damaged property and wandered in a residential neighborhood in western Wayne County, said Melissa Cummings, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. "It'd been trying to get into homes, pounding on garages and attempting to get through doors," Cummings said. "The bear had become too accustomed to people." According to the Florida Times-Union, a homeowner named Ken Boyette saw Westley in his neighborhood Saturday, uncomfortably close to where children were riding bicycles and playing football. He shot Westley, killing him instantly. "I didn't have a choice. He had no fear of humans," Boyette told the Times-Union. "I was afraid it was going to hurt one of the kids or someone else."

(Excerpt) Read more at sun-sentinel.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Florida; US: Georgia
KEYWORDS: banglist; bear; ga
Bears that become acustomed to humans are a tragedy waiting to happen.
1 posted on 08/15/2009 8:17:18 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain

In every respect this is a sad tale. I can’t imagine it was any fun to shoot this bear. I feel sorry for that homeowner.


2 posted on 08/15/2009 8:39:36 AM PDT by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghéill mi do dhuine. Fàg am bealach.)
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To: DieHard the Hunter
I can’t imagine it was any fun to shoot this bear. I feel sorry for that homeowner.

I agree. However, to make the best of a bad situation, bear meat ain't all that bad.

3 posted on 08/15/2009 11:36:00 AM PDT by Vigilantcitizen
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To: Vigilantcitizen

I thought most bear meat was unsuitable for human consumption due to trichinosis?


4 posted on 08/15/2009 11:52:18 AM PDT by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghéill mi do dhuine. Fàg am bealach.)
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To: DieHard the Hunter
I thought most bear meat was unsuitable for human consumption due to trichinosis?

Nobody is eating it raw, cook it like pork.

5 posted on 08/15/2009 11:57:59 AM PDT by xone
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To: xone

> Nobody is eating it raw, cook it like pork.

Ahhhhh. Is it a red meat or a white meat? (Never tried bear, didn’t know it could be safely eaten)


6 posted on 08/15/2009 12:02:08 PM PDT by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghéill mi do dhuine. Fàg am bealach.)
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To: DieHard the Hunter

Red, if the bear ate well and the meat taken care of correctly it is quite tasty.


7 posted on 08/15/2009 12:11:21 PM PDT by xone
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