We drove to Portland and back yesterday for a doctor’s appointment and, due to the fuel efficiency of our new Prius, used very little gas. Though that huge battery may have done its share to get us there and back, I feel that I, personally, was propelled by righteous indignation.
That’s because we picked up a Chinook Observer on the way out of town and I entertained the driver by reading aloud. The lead story about bears in Sahalee (which for the edification of non-locals is just west of Ilwaco) caught my eye first. The headline read “Killed by Kindness.”
Once again in our area, enforcement officers from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) had to trap and euthanize bears that were being fed by a woman whose “heart was in the right spot” according to several folks quoted in the article. That sentiment, alone, makes me furious. What possible meaning does it have? That she meant well? I struggled most of the way to the Rose City and back over that one.
First of all, it does not seem possible that anyone over school age, especially anyone who lives in the proximity of black bears, does not know that feeding bears or other wild animals does them no favors. When I taught first grade, we talked about big concepts like environment and habitat and co-existence. And we read Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey and talked about bears and how to stay safe. I couldn’t help wondering yesterday where this bear-feeding woman has been all her life.
And where was she three years ago when the headlines were full of the bears near Oysterville who were being feed by another “well meaning” person? Was she totally unaware that five of those bears had to be relocated and five others had to be euthanized? Has she been living under a rock? Besides all that, in our state, feeding bears has been illegal since June 2012. The fine is $1,000. (I hope it’s $1,000 per bear per feeding.)
Around our house we have a saying – “There’s no substitute for brains” which translates pretty much straight across to “use your common sense.” I have no patience for people who purposely ignore the advice and wisdom of experts in the field, and even less patience for people who do not inform themselves about possible ramifications of their actions.
Finally, there’s no place in my lexicon of popular sayings for “her heart is in the right place.” Sounds to me like a warm, fuzzy apology for inexcusable behavior leading directly to the death of those bears. Where is that “right place” anyway?
I cringed when I saw the Observer article and wondered, as you did, where this woman had been when there was all the uproar over bears up near you. Along with “use your brain” one ought to think “what is the ramification of what I’m doing.” I don’t know where her heart was, but her brain was missing in action.
Feeding the bears was all about ” her”! She was not concerned with what her actions of feeding the bears might result in ie bears being put down. She was concerned with what her actions were doing for her ego……. “Look at me…I feed the bears!” Humans have such a knack of screwing things up when their “ego” comes into play.
Here, here!! I have a neighbor like her. She feeds the deer, raccoons, whatever all the time. Thanks to her, deer come right up to the house and walk along our street. As Jon and I set out for work in the dark, I am always fearful of hitting one on our dark street.
Hope she DOES get fined $1,000.00 per feeding!!