DFG Issues Bear Kill Report
Report details incident with Aliso Street bear from start to tragic finish
By Nancy Gross
The official Wildlife Incident Report from the California Department of Fish and Game, dated Oct. 10, 2009, documents the occurrences that led up to the shot heard around the county and beyond, still resounding 13 days later.
The report narrative begins, “On or about 0150 hours (1:50 a.m.), on 10-10-09, Warden B. Huber returned a telephone call to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department about a bear within the city limits of Ojai, CA.”
Huber “discussed various options with the Sheriff’s personnel to include keeping their deputies and citizens at a distance to allow the bear to exit the tree and find its way out of town.” There was talk of non-lethal force.
Huber told the Ojai Police Department “because it was bear season, any tranquilized bear would have to be euthanized,” and the report says, “DFG was not asked to respond at that time.”
Lt. Chris Long returned another call from the sheriff’s office at 8:30 a.m. “regarding the bear that was still treed in a residential area two blocks from the downtown shopping area.” The report says Long discussed “normal bear behavior, safety concerns and again the idea that a tranquilized bear would have to be euthanized.” Long told Sgt. Joe Evans that “DFG could respond and tranquilize/euthanize the bear for them, but it would be at their request. The Sheriff’s Department decided to wait for the bear to come out of the tree and attempt to herd it out of town.”
At 1:15 p.m. Evans alerted Long that “the bear would not leave the tree, there was media presence and large crowds of people were forming. He requested DFG assistance, expertise and a physical response.” DFG supervisors then made arrangements so that Capt. Roland Takayama, Long, “and seven wardens from three counties responded.”
After that DFG and the Sheriff’s Department collaborated to create a perimeter, closing two city streets, hoping to guide the bear out of town using vehicles and non-lethal force once night fell.
“The bear never made any attempt to exit the tree. Because the bear would not leave the tree, it had been in the ‘same’ location for approximately 24 hours and concern for the safety of the public, the bear was tranquilized at 2200 hours (10 p.m.) with telazol. The bear was transported to the Fillmore Fish Hatchery, humanely euthanized, and placed in a freezer pending necropsy.”
In a telephone conversation Monday Takayama spoke about whether directing the bear out of town could have been successful had the bear exited the tree: “We were taking a definite risk. They never go the way you want them to. The only time this works is when there are no obstructions to open wild land.” He said the bear “will end up getting buried, or incinerated — cremated, if you prefer. We can’t allow any other animal to forage off of it.” He said the bear has become “400 pounds of medical waste that we have to safely dispose of.”
As of Thursday, Harry Morse, who handles public information for DFG, attempted to contact the Fillmore Fish Hatchery to find out if the bear’s body is still there.
The hatchery provides no telephone number to the public. Morse said, “It’s in the hatchery because the wardens have use of the cold room. The wardens are not answering the phones. They are out doing fish hatchery business. This is departmental business. They cannot respond to calls from the public or the press.”
Simply ludicrous report! What nincompoops!
Candy
23 Oct 09 at 10:12 am
Idiots. I still believe that there were other options. Killing that bear was a disgusting thing to do. It could have been held for a day in a cage until it was well enough to leave. Anything else but killing. I will never support Fish and Game now.
Gemma
23 Oct 09 at 10:27 am
I think you are right Gemma in fact after they held a couple days they could mark it as unfit to eat by tagging its ear or spraying its coat with dye. I think a bear would rather be tagged than killed.
BornNaked
23 Oct 09 at 11:16 am
BornNaked, I’m sure any other animals that might want to eat it would appreciate the ear candy and dye job! Maybe it wasn’t just human consumpition they were worried about.
Anon
24 Oct 09 at 10:18 am
Anon,! What other species besides MAN is going to eat a huge Black BEAR??????? A coyote? A FOx? A BOb CAT? A Mountain Lion? NO!!!!!!! IDIOT If they didn’t care about the life of the bear do you think they would care about other wildlife? THEY DON’t CARe.
BornNaked
24 Oct 09 at 11:25 am
I saw a bear by the fountain about ten years ago.
Libbey Park Bum
24 Oct 09 at 12:19 pm
I would like to know what people would be saying if that bear came out of that tree and attacked and killed a human. You can never know what a “wild” animal will do. I am sure people would blame the DFG for not doing their job. The DFG is not out to kill as many wild animals as they can. They are actually here to PROTECT wild animals. However, HUMAN life is a priority. If DFG didn’t care about the animals then we as humans would be able to hunt what we want when we want.
BearBS
26 Oct 09 at 10:19 am
I saw BornNaked bear naked.
Jesse
26 Oct 09 at 5:01 pm
I would like to know what people would be saying if that bear came out of that tree and attacked and killed a human, AWSOME!!!
BearKilla
26 Oct 09 at 8:34 pm
The Man Who Walks with Bears
A timely article and video.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8320414.stm
Black bears are often considered among the most dangerous animals in North America, depicted down the years as ferocious predators threatening to man.
But, says one man, that perception could not be further from the truth.
For 43 years, Professor Lynn Rogers has studied wild bears, walking and playing with them, gaining amazing insights into their behaviour. His studies reveal the bears as peaceful, playful creatures, which even hum when they are content.
The new understanding of wild black bear (Ursus americanus) behaviour unveiled by Prof Roger’s research is depicted by the BBC natural history programme Natural World: “Bearwalker of the Northwoods”.
Suza Francina
27 Oct 09 at 1:41 am
SO EVERYBODY KNOWS, IF YOU ARGUE WITH JOHN “THE UNICK” DOE, HE WILL IMPERSONATE YOU LIKE HE HAS DONE WITH THE MILITARY “RET. LIEUT.” WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP. I MADE NO POSTS YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
Jesse
27 Oct 09 at 7:37 am
It’s eunuch…
Lil' Eva
27 Oct 09 at 8:27 am
Jesse,
I didn’t impersonate you. Besides, when have I ever written that I was in the military? That is an assumption you made.
Ret. Lieut. John Doe
Ventura Local
John Doe
27 Oct 09 at 10:39 am
John,
Based on the fact you put “ret. Lieut. John Douche Bag” I guess it stands for RETARDED!! not retired. and you must have been a lieutenant in the a$$ clown army. What a loser…
Jesse
27 Oct 09 at 11:12 am
Well, Jesse is your real name Jesse or is it just a name you made up for this blog?
Rear Admiral BornNaked
27 Oct 09 at 12:10 pm
Jesse,
When are actually going to bring something to the table? The kindergarten antics are pathetic.
I am a problem solver, a solution maker. While I am out getting things done, you are slopping at the government trough. Get a job, you moron!
John Doe
27 Oct 09 at 1:18 pm
I have nothing to hide. Thats my real name…
Jesse
27 Oct 09 at 1:55 pm
Comments on this blog have been suspended due to off-topic submissions.
admin
27 Oct 09 at 2:29 pm