Hanover, N.H., Deputy Fire Chief Michael Hinsley in the woods with Mink the bear.
Posted on 05/22/2019 5:14:15 AM PDT by SJackson
Hanover, N.H., Deputy Fire Chief Michael Hinsley in the woods with Mink the bear.
For years, an elderly resident of Hanover, N.H., fed one particular female black bear. The old man's food offer of choice? Birdseed and maple-glazed doughnuts from a diner down the street.
Then the man died, and the bear started venturing out farther in search of more delicious treats.
She had become comfortable around humans, and people in town grew to love her — a lumbering, strong but gentle animal that would come right up to your door. She's named Mink, after a local natural area called Mink Brook.
"She's a beautiful bear. She's an amazing bear," said Hanover Town Manager Julia Griffin. "Anybody that likes animals was enchanted by her."
But others were scared, and state wildlife officials decided, for safety's sake, the bear needed to go. They planned to shoot her, but local news outlets picked up the story and a petition to save Mink got thousands of signatures.
Then New Hampshire's governor intervened, and had Mink relocated instead.
Mink had to move
Just under a year ago, officials dropped Mink off with a tracking collar far north, near the Canadian border.
But she immediately started making her way back.
"She was going 30 miles a day," said Ben Kilham, a biologist who has been tracking Mink's location. "If anything, we should get her into a triathlon."
She has logged thousands of looping miles, crossing Interstate 91 and the Connecticut River multiple times.
The lead bear official for the state of New Hampshire said he's never dealt with an animal that's traveled so long, hibernating for the winter and then continuing on. He now checks her progress first thing every morning.
He's not alone in his interest. Even the governor asked to be included on the data. "And he's clearly been watching," Kilham said. "Probably the whole office down there has been watching, because it's fascinating the way she moves."
Bears are known to be able to find their way home, or at least try to. That's why wildlife officials believed killing Mink was more humane than putting her through an arduous journey.
To see how far she traveled, and how thin she was last fall, we all felt like — oh boy — what have we done to this sow?" Griffin said.
Until recently, though, the general public didn't know Mink was getting close. But earlier this spring, a woman named Patricia Campbell spotted a bear outside her house, less than 20 miles from Hanover.
Campbell took a bunch of photos, and Mink once again ended up in the local news.
Biologists now say she could be back in Hanover anytime. From there, her future is unclear.
"If she comes right back as our nuisance bear in Mink Brook corridor," Griffin said, "I don't know what more we can do."
At this point, wildlife officials are taking things day by day. There's no plan in place if Mink makes it back. They're just hoping she'll lie low in the woods.
Long way to go for donuts.
Heartwarming
Unfortunately letting Wild animals become comfortable with humans is not necessarily the best thing for the animals during, oh let say, bear hunting season.
I love seeing animals in the wild. I also hunt animals. I never hunted bears but know lots of people who do.
Must be a LEO.
No one thought of the obvious? Put out food for her in a wooded area regularly. Donuts & birdseed for life. Seems like a small and compassionate way of working out an inter species hiccup.
Leave it to government to do the wrong thing.
When I got home my wife was nowhere in sight, but her purse and phone were still inside. I didn't give it much thought, but five minutes later I heard the kitchen door open and my wife say, "Now you get in there and be good!" Then I heard a familiar jingling and knew exactly what was going on.
My dog had made his way home, over a path he had never travelled, across a busy six-lane highway.
It this going to be on the test? :-)
There are substantial and desirable penned habitats available for an endearing, nuisance animal.
“...a lumbering, strong but gentle animal...”
Until Mink eats a child.
(Note: I see a cub in the picture. Try getting between Mink and her cub.)
Just under a year ago, officials dropped Mink off with a tracking collar far north, near the Canadian border.
But she immediately started making her way back.
“She was going 30 miles a day,” said Ben Kilham, a biologist who has been tracking Mink’s location. “If anything, we should get her into a triathlon.”
—
Maple glazed donuts are good.
Mega dittos
Feeding animals that we cannot or will not domesticate is not the best thing over the long tern for them. It makes them lazy and dependent. As well we know with humans.
They will follow their nose until they have no idea where they are.
...and that’s inside the house!
“....Even the governor asked to be included on the data. “And he’s clearly been watching” “Probably the whole office down there has been watching,.....”
ff
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