I don't know why but this subject of this animal's supposed immanent demise is stuck in my craw but it is and it's really causing a raw patch. I was doing some reading and happened upon this statistic "In May 2002, the Canadian Species at Risk Act listed the Prairie population (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba range) of grizzly bears as being wiped out in Canada. As of 2002, grizzly bears were listed as Special Concern under the COSEWIC registry." Wiped out huh? I guess those bears from the mountain regions must have been loving up on each other something fierce to cause something of a population boom in the last few years. Check out what the Cardston County website says as of June 20th. "We have seen the greatest increase in bear activity south of Cardston in a line from Police Lake east as far as Del Bonita. These Grizzly Bears are using the St. Mary River and Milk River as travel lanes and can often be found in close association with these rivers. It would appear that we have at least three family groups operating in this area along with at least one large boar and a couple of sub-adults." Police Lake to Del Bonita? Well if that ain't prairie somebody better pay for me to go back to school and get a better education. You can't even call that area foothills. Rolling prairie? Maybe. Another statement by the Canadian Government stated that the recovery of the Plains Grizzly was not feasible. "Some species have already disappeared completely from Canada. For example, we used to have Grizzly Bears on the prairies but they no longer exist. They disappeared in the 1800’s with the advancement of European settlers and the advent of firearms." I think these folks must get out of their offices a little more often. It might be a good idea to quit discounting the local human population's knowledge of their own surroundings and listen to that annecdotal evidence they report.
UPDATE!!!! July 12
Sunday, July 3, 2011
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5 Comments:
Thanks for this post! I've seen the grizzly bears around Cardston and Waterton (and the tourists that get out of their cars to take pictures of the cute little cubs - until the park rangers arrive!) The wildlife officials aren't always aware of what's going on, both my mother and my son have seen cougars in Nova Scotia, only to be told that there have never been cougars in Nova Scotia.
It really does amaze me how the "officials" can ignore what people are telling them. Do they think we are crazy?
Cougars in Nova Scotia? Why not? If they can have coyotes I can't see why they wouldn't have a few cougars too.
And now they are talking about a woman who was attacked and partially eaten last night. Did you know that the only animal who has killed more people in North America is the dairy bull? Scary.
It's pretty hard to confuse a cougar or a grizzly with any other animal, they are kind of at the top of the food chain!
Those Holstein bulls are nothing to mess with!! And Jen, I have no idea how you could mistake those animals for anything.
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