Mother grizzly bear and her cubs may face death if DNA test proves she killed hiker

[Paladin]

A mother grizzly bear and her two baby cubs may be put to death if a DNA test proves she was responsible for killing and eating a hiker in America's Yellowstone National Park.

The three bears are awaiting the results of a lab test but their case has already sparked cries of outrage from nature lovers who argue that the "mama grizzly" was simply defending her young.

"Nature should not pay the price for humans venturing out into the wild," said one of the hundreds of people who protested to park authorities.

The killing happened on Friday when the "partially consumed" body of Lance Crosby, a 63-year-old experienced hiker, was found around a half-mile off a trail.

Mr Crosby was hiking alone, against park recommendations, and was not carrying any bear spray.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11796903/Mother-grizzly-bear-and-her-cubs-may-face-death-if-DNA-test-proves-she-killed-hiker.html

The modern age. We can put to death a bear, and maybe her cubs, if its shown it was she who killed a human. The human predators among us, though, cannot be subjected to the same fate but must be kept alive until natural death.

[Paladin]

Ah, well. Mama Bear is dead, subjected to capital punishment.

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Yellowstone National Park officials euthanized a grizzly bear Thursday after DNA tests confirmed it attacked and killed a hiker last week, a park spokeswoman said.

The adult female bear was killed because it had eaten part of the Montana man's body and hid the rest, which is not normal behavior for a female bear defending its young, spokeswoman Amy Bartlett said.

"If a bear consumes an individual, it's not allowed to remain in the population," she said. "It's not a risk we're willing to take."

The bear's two cubs also fed on the body, park officials determined, but arrangements were being made to transfer them to a zoo, Bartlett said. If no zoo had been willing to take them, the cubs likely would have been killed, too.

"Cubs can adapt to a facility much easier, and there is no danger of them learning humans are food," she said.

http://news.yahoo.com/yellowstone-park-officials-euthanize-bear-killed-hiker-191317168.html

[EC]

"Cubs can adapt to a facility much easier, and there is no danger of them learning humans are food," she said.

Humans ARE food. Slow moving snacks for most predators. Killing one for doing what comes naturally when you are on its turf is pretty damned stupid.

[Paladin]

Killing one for doing what comes naturally when you are on its turf is pretty damned stupid.

You make an interesting point, but I think the reasoning is that she may have begun to consider other humans as food and would start including them in her diet.

My point is, as I stated, "The modern age. We can put to death a bear, and maybe her cubs, if its shown it was she who killed a human. The human predators among us, though, cannot be subjected to the same fate but must be kept alive until natural death."

I do believe we have more to fear from our fellow humans than we do a dozen grizzlies.