from CTV: Fatal bear attack renews calls for bear hunt.

Why are we so uninventive? In light of several recent bear attacks, why are we entertaining the idea of renewing the slaughter of bears as a means of protecting people who are wandering in territory that one would have to assume could be inhabited by bears? Granted, the idea’s been put forth by hunters who have their own agenda, but are we really so primitive that shooting an animal is the best way we can come up with to handle them?

It’s tragic that a bear killed this young doctor, but they must have been aware that a bear attack was possible in northern Ontario, just as people in towns like Canmore, AB must know that they’re infringing on natural territory for bears. There’s obviously no stopping people from moving about the country, nor should there be. But surely the method by which we keep bears from wandering into our homes or the way we fend them off should we stray into theirs doesn’t need to be so brutal and mindless as just shooting them. We have big brains. We’re upright and have opposable digits. We’re the ones who’ve been killing them for shits & giggles since christ was a cowboy. I think we probably owe them 1) a little respect; 2) a better way to live together than to occasionally kill a bunch of them when they get too cranky.