Bear Kills 11 Year Old Boy in Utah

[Boyzmomee]

Don't let something like this take away from plans for camping. I wouldn't worry about it. Certainly, bringing a gun along with small children on a camping trip is a MUCH bigger threat than any attacking bear---making that decision could well be one you end up regretting for the rest of your life.

My husband always takes a gun when he goes backpacking.

We have multiple guns in our home and we have two sons. Precautions can be taken.

 

[Boyzmomee]

Bear attacks are VERY rare Ziggy. The single most important thing you can do to keep a bear away from you campsite is to not leave food lying around, smelling good and easily accessible to bears. Keep it in a container in the car - or hang it in a container from trees.

But keeping food away and not startling them definitely help.

I just went camping in Kings Canyon National Park with my 9 year old son.

It's not just food you have to keep away. Tooth paste, deodorant, anything with a smell. Bears are attracted to it.

My campsite provided a "bear box" which is a large steel container that can be locked with a pin or a pad lock.

If something could not fit there, it was encourged that you place the objects in a container and then locked them in your trunk. If you don't have a trunk, like I don't, you put it in your car and conceal it. Bears recognize ice chests etc.

We had a wonderful time.

 

[Boyzmomee]

Thanks Seeker! We'll look into those areas. I definitely want a designated area and patrols. Good advice on the most dangerous of all animals...being a regular Websleuthers for many years now, I'm extremely suspicious of people and cautious. My family thinks I'm a bit overboard but I don't care!

Hume lake is also beautiful. There are multiple campsites within short driving distance. We just got back last week.

 

[Kim Ii]

Here's a link to the Timothy Treadwell story. Tim used to speak to the kids at various schools in So. CA to teach them about bears. I remember a friend of mine talking about Tim after her son had heard him speak.

He sure had a passion for bears -- ultimately, the cause of his death.

Here's the link: http://www.yellowstone-bearman.com/Tim_Treadwell.html

 

[Peter Hamilton]

Kim li--Fantastic article--I had seen this tragic account on TV before but your link provided much more information on this harrowing ordeal--Its a shame the girlfriend didn't have a gun--thanks again for the link

 

[PrayersForMaura]

It's just that they were out in the woods, where the bear lives and eats. It's not like the bear roamed into their neighborhood. Unless there is something wrong with the bear, I don't see why it had to die. It was just doing what bears do. It's horrible and tragic, though. I feel badly for the family.

I agree, why kill the bear?
We invade their territory when we go camping. It's not like they come park their butts in our neighborhood.

I feel terrible for the little boy and his family, but my goodness the bear was just doing what animals do ... hunt for food.

I don't go camping. I don't put myself in those types of situations. Humans think we're invinceable. We're not.

 

[Peter Hamilton]

Here are a couple more close calls, but this time with snakes--A man in Pennsylvania stopped to get gas when he then heard a woman screaming at him--He looked and saw a 5 foot python slither out from under his car--Nobody knows where it came from--and in Denver, a man hit an errant shot on a golf course,went to get it and then a deadly rattesnake bit him twice--His life was saved by doctors giving him 9 vials of anti-serum yikes

 

[UM&AMWfan]

Here's a link to the Timothy Treadwell story. Tim used to speak to the kids at various schools in So. CA to teach them about bears. I remember a friend of mine talking about Tim after her son had heard him speak.

He sure had a passion for bears -- ultimately, the cause of his death.

Here's the link: http://www.yellowstone-bearman.com/Tim_Treadwell.html

But Treadwell lived UNARMED among all those huge bears for 13 summers and he came across hundreds of bears and actually kind of made friends with some of them so it was just that 1 lone rogue bear that did him in and Treadwell would've probably survived if he had the most basic harmless protection like bear spray or protective fencing, etc.

So, it was well under 1% of the bears who were killers so 99% of them didn't do anything to Treadwell at all.

 

[LisainWV]

I agree, why kill the bear?
We invade their territory when we go camping. It's not like they come park their butts in our neighborhood.

I feel terrible for the little boy and his family, but my goodness the bear was just doing what animals do ... hunt for food.

I don't go camping. I don't put myself in those types of situations. Humans think we're invinceable. We're not.

I agree with your post completely. We do think we're invinceable and we also think we have more of a right to be here over everything else God created. It was wrong to kill the bear IMO!

 

[southcitymom]

I agree with your post completely. We do think we're invinceable and we also think we have more of a right to be here over everything else God created. It was wrong to kill the bear IMO!

While I understand and have great sympathy for bears who are killed after attacking humans, the reality is that such a bear is highly likely to attack and kill again. If you or someone you loved came upon such a bear in the wilderness, you might feel differently.

I hate for any bear to be killed, but the alternative is equally unacceptable.

 

[southcitymom]

I agree, why kill the bear?
We invade their territory when we go camping. It's not like they come park their butts in our neighborhood.

I feel terrible for the little boy and his family, but my goodness the bear was just doing what animals do ... hunt for food.

I don't go camping. I don't put myself in those types of situations. Humans think we're invinceable. We're not.

The woods belong to us just as much as they belong to the bears, IMHO. And plenty of bears do try and come park their butts in "our" neigborhoods. This bear certainly did:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWW8AoCQ61s

 

[Boyzmomee]

I agree, why kill the bear?
We invade their territory when we go camping. It's not like they come park their butts in our neighborhood.

I feel terrible for the little boy and his family, but my goodness the bear was just doing what animals do ... hunt for food.

I don't go camping. I don't put myself in those types of situations. Humans think we're invinceable. We're not.

Humans aren't natural prey for bears. In addition, once a bear has killed a human it is believed it will do so again.

 

[Boyzmomee]

I agree with your post completely. We do think we're invinceable and we also think we have more of a right to be here over everything else God created. It was wrong to kill the bear IMO!

It is ignorant and dangerous to not kill the bear.

 

[LisainWV]

It is ignorant and dangerous to not kill the bear.

Ignorant?? :waitasec:

 

[southcitymom]

Ignorant?? :waitasec:

Yes, because based on what we know, chances are great that he will kill again. It's like letting a serial killer walk free.

 

[PrayersForMaura]

Yes, because based on what we know, chances are great that he will kill again. It's like letting a serial killer walk free.

The definition of ignorant means "not knowing". If you know, then it's not ignorant.

We do not own the world. Animals are losing their homes because of us.
They're becoming extinct because of us.

Why camp anyway ... it's dangerous with bears or no bears.
People put themselves in the line of danger.
Camping is not the only dangerous thing.... hiking up mountains, bungee jumping and more.

Animals were there long before we were.

 

[PrayersForMaura]

Humans aren't natural prey for bears. In addition, once a bear has killed a human it is believed it will do so again.

It is believed.... not known for certain.

If humans aren't natural prey for bears (and I know they aren't), then why did the bear eat the child?

 

[southcitymom]

The definition of ignorant means "not knowing". If you know, then it's not ignorant.

We do not own the world. Animals are losing their homes because of us.
They're becoming extinct because of us.

Why camp anyway ... it's dangerous with bears or no bears.
People put themselves in the line of danger.
Camping is not the only dangerous thing.... hiking up mountains, bungee jumping and more.

Animals were there long before we were.

I'm an occasional camper, but many people I know (hubby included) camp, hike up mountains and rock climb because they feel closest to God when they are doing these things in the woods.

I get that feeling when I am by the ocean - or in the ocean. Swimming or sailing or fishing in the ocean is also dangerous, but I would never give it up because it fills me up spiritually - just as camping does for some folks.

Driving my kids to school also puts me in the line of danger (especially in Atlanta traffic), but I do that too.

Animals and humans have equal rights to the earth's treasures.

 

[southcitymom]

It is believed.... not known for certain.

If humans aren't natural prey for bears (and I know they aren't), then why did the bear eat the child?

Because a bear in a feeding frenzy - or stockpiling calories before hibernation - will eat just about anything.

Every expert on bear behavior who I have ever read or seen LOVE bears and all the creatures of the earth. They spend their lives trying to help bears (and other animals) and humans live together harmoniously.

These people have no reason to ever want to kill a bear or order a bear killed, but they know enough about bears to believe that that hard decision (putting down a bear who has killed a human being) is necessary. I trust these people because of their devotion to the animal.

 

[PrayersForMaura]

Because a bear in a feeding frenzy - or stockpiling calories before hibernation - will eat just about anything.

Every expert on bear behavior who I have ever read or seen LOVE bears and all the creatures of the earth. They spend their lives trying to help bears (and other animals) and humans live together harmoniously.

These people have no reason to ever want to kill a bear or order a bear killed, but they know enough about bears to believe that that hard decision (putting down a bear who has killed a human being) is necessary. I trust these people because of their devotion to the animal.

That's fine for you and others.
I and some others happen to not agree with the decision to have killed the bear. Just because someone else thinks it's right doesn't mean I do.