[Vision2020] Black Bear Has a Very Sweet Tooth

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (May 5, 2006) Leader-Post (Edmonton, Alberta) -

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Black bear has a very sweet tooth
  
Scott Hornby 
CanWest News Service 

Thursday, May 04, 2006

EDMONTON -- He was just after the bear necessities.

A black bear wandered into a grocery store in Peace River, Alta., late
Tuesday, with one thing on his mind -- sweets.

"He jumped up into the bakery case, he tested a few things out and he really
liked the strawberry mousse," said store night manager Trevor Allen.

Before he found the pastries, the bear spent a few minutes wandering the
aisles, apparently doing a little comparison shopping, he said.

The bear got into the 24-hour store simply by walking through the automated
doors. There were only a few customers in the store at that time of night.

One customer was slightly injured when he tried to snap a picture of the
bear.

"When (the bear) was sitting in the bakery case, this guy came up with a
camera phone and he was sticking it right in his face," Allen said.

"The bear ... didn't like that much."

The man received a "superficial wound" to his hand when the bear bit him,
said Lyle Fullerton, a spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife service in Peace
River. He said it's dangerous to approach a bear, with or without a camera
phone for protection.

Since it injured a person, the bear will have to be killed when it's caught,
Fullerton said.

Though the store staff thought it was male, Fullerton said he couldn't
confirm the sex of the bear.

He said it was probably only one or two years old, but even a young bear can
weigh over 100 pounds.

"A 100-pound black bear can do some very serious damage to a human,"
Fullerton said.

"The individuals that were involved there were extremely lucky that the bear
was in a good mood, probably because of all the pies he ate."

He added that it's not uncommon for bears to wander into Peace River to
forage for food at this time of year.

The bear devoured about 15 cakes before it had its fill.

Allen had already rushed the other four staff members into a side room for
safety, when he saw that the bear was looking to get out.

"I just kinda called at him. He calmly walked over, so I kept calling at him
... and when he saw the doors he just went out."

A trap has been set near the store, but so far the bear hasn't been caught.

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Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving
safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in
sideways, chocolate in one hand, a drink in the other, body thoroughly used
up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO. What a ride!'"