Orphaned bear shootings upset Atikokan residents

Superior Morning2:54Dead Bear Cubs

Atkokan officials will meet with the MNR tomorrow after the recent shooting of two orphaned bears that were visiting a neighbourhood apple tree. Pauline Gashinski says trap and relocate programs should be brought back

After the shooting of two orphaned bears, an Atikokanresident is calling for the return of a trap-and-relocate option for dealing with nuisance bears.

Pauline Gashinski said that last week, provincial police shot and killed two yearlings that she had seendaily in her neighbourhood.She said the bears were eating apples from a neighbour's tree.

Gashinski said area residents would have preferred to see the young bears taken away rather than bedestroyed.

"Everyone knew they were there, police would come and check them out, and they didn't seem to think they were a threat to anyone," she said. "So, we're all really upset and surprised when we heard the cubs being shot."

Gashinski said the bears weren't threatening anyone, and there should be anoption to trap and relocate the animals in cases like this. Shesaid she feels sorry for the officers who had to dispatch the animals.

"I think that they could have been saved," she said. "They were young, they were healthy, they were in their second year."

Gashinski said single cubs don't survive well on their own, but if there aretwo of them they have a better chance of survival.

The Ministry of Natural Resources no longer relocates bears, saying the practice is largely ineffective.

Local political support

Gashinski said sheand other residents have takentheir concerns to Atikokan township officials.

Mayor Dennis Brown said he, too, would like to see a local trapping option available. Brown is scheduled to meet with localMNR officials on Friday to discuss possible solutions to address any potential future incidents. He said healso brought his concerns to police.

Brown said another option is needed. "There's two numbers you can use [in these situations]," he said. "One is the BearWise number, and that just tells you about where you keep the garbage, kind of an educational program."

He said the other is the OPP phone number for emergency situations.

"So somewhere in between, there's a gap and I ... would like to see if there's anything we can do to improve the situation," he said.

Police said other residents were worried about the bears

Atikokan OPP told CBC Newsthatthey hadreceived several calls from other residents concerned about the bears' presence.

Const. Jim Davis said the complainants were worried becausethere's an elementary school in the neighbourhood. "The animals themselves were very unafraid of human contact," he said."That's kind of raising the level of concern that the officers and that the members of the public who called regarding the animals had."

Davis saidOPP assesseach situation before taking any action.