Humans and bears. We’ve been together for millennia and it shows. It shows up in our language (unbearable, bearly, bear right, etc.) , our myths and legends, movies, and even in the baby’s crib as a teddy bear is offered for comfort. It is a Jeckel and Hyde kind of relationship we seem to have. We might take comfort in Smokie teaching us how to prevent forest fires and at the same we might see the demon in the Grizzly Bear who predates on one of the cows. We love them. We hate them. We respect them. We fear them.
Even in Cardston County and the Crowsnest Pass Corridor there are conflicting points of view. From 1999-2005, there were 9 bears that were destroyed by Fish and Wildlife Officers and 24 times bears were relocated because of conflicts with people and their property.
Some people think that bears are a nuisance and should be destroyed, some people think that bears have a right to live in our community and should be protected. In some cultures bears symbolize ? and are highly respected to the point that an entire mythology has grown up around these amazing creatures. These are complex issues with few easy solutions and yet a wide variety of perspectives about how bear and human interactions should be addressed. Who are the experts who can help to inform our understanding about this very important issue?
Can bears and humans coexist in the Cardston County/Crowsnest Pass Corridor? What has our relationship been with bears and what might it be in the future?
Even in Cardston County and the Crowsnest Pass Corridor there are conflicting points of view. From 1999-2005, there were 9 bears that were destroyed by Fish and Wildlife Officers and 24 times bears were relocated because of conflicts with people and their property.
Some people think that bears are a nuisance and should be destroyed, some people think that bears have a right to live in our community and should be protected. In some cultures bears symbolize ? and are highly respected to the point that an entire mythology has grown up around these amazing creatures. These are complex issues with few easy solutions and yet a wide variety of perspectives about how bear and human interactions should be addressed. Who are the experts who can help to inform our understanding about this very important issue?
Can bears and humans coexist in the Cardston County/Crowsnest Pass Corridor? What has our relationship been with bears and what might it be in the future?
