We have had quite a day over here on Stonewall Avenue. Around 5 this morning, Nick and I were awakened by gunshots and a sheriff's car in the street outside our house. Nick went outside to figure out what was going on and found out that a bear had broken into our neighbor's screened-in porch. My neighbor thought they were being robbed, went to check it out and saw that the bear had broken the screen, was sitting on her porch and eating her trash. So she called 911. By the time the game warden came--or as we've come to call him, That Mothertrucker--the bear had climbed the tree. That's when he shot her.
My neighbor was told that wildlife officers are no longer allowed to carry tranquilizers and so that was why the officer felt he had to shoot the mama bear. They didn't realize until afterwards that the bear had 3 cubs that were up in the tree with her. This was the sad part. Now, I can totally see the need to get rid of a bear that is practically breaking into a home but it just makes me so mad that the 3 baby bear cubs are now left without a mama. These guys spent most the morning in this tree. It was so sad.
They seemed so freaked out and not sure where to go.
A little later, the wildlife officer and a biologist came back to try to trap the cubs. They set up a huge trap and eventually, after about 4 hours, they caught two of them. It was pretty cool to watch. The 3rd cub is still roaming around the neighborhood. He spent a lot of time in our backyard, up a tree. He climbed right over our fence, the little athlete. Anyway, they are supposed to be coming back tomorrow to try to catch him. The officers were really patient and interested in catching the bears rather than killing them, thank goodness. I think they are taking the bears to Wildlife Rehabilitation but I'm not sure what that is.
Anyway, that was our day. It meant a lot of looking out the window and telling Jack to shut up and grabbing the camera. Not much else going on here in Grovemont. Everyone was out this evening talking about what had happened and looking out for little bear cub #3. It was like a block party. I am hoping they catch him tomorrow so he can get back to roaming around with most of his family. Just hopefully not in our neighborhood.
Update: Thanks for joining me in my outrage and sadness, everyone. I called the wilderness officer (Major Stokes) in Raleigh and let him know what had happened. He was surprised that his officer shot the bear out of the tree with cubs in it but from what he said I am not hopeful that much will change in their handling of situations like this. They did not catch the 3rd bear and we haven't seen him since Wednesday, so I am assuming he made it back to the woods on his own.
Update: Thanks for joining me in my outrage and sadness, everyone. I called the wilderness officer (Major Stokes) in Raleigh and let him know what had happened. He was surprised that his officer shot the bear out of the tree with cubs in it but from what he said I am not hopeful that much will change in their handling of situations like this. They did not catch the 3rd bear and we haven't seen him since Wednesday, so I am assuming he made it back to the woods on his own.
