Three Legged Bear

[Goon]

I like this article.

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http://www.thedahloneganugget.com/ar...ews/03bear.txt
Brazen three-legged bear nabbed

By Matt Aiken



A three-legged bear with an attitude wandered up to a picnicking family at Blood Mountain Sunday afternoon.

The 100-pound black bear had been sighted numerous times in the area occasionally showing off and charging at customers outside a convenience store, sending them scrambling inside.

As a result Chuck Hans of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was in the area and witnessed the brazen bear as he herded the family into their car and then helped himself to some of their leftovers.

"This bear is one that's been creating a problem a long while," said the Wildlife Technician.

According to Hans, he had watched as the bear completely ignored a nearby sardine-baited trap which had been set for him a few days before and went straight for a nearby dumpster.

As the bear munched on picnic food, Hans hurriedly prepared a tranquilizer dart.



"I got over there and got a shot off and hit him in the rear," he said.

However, the slow-acting drug didn't seem to take effect. The bear scampered off and Hans plunged into the woods after him.

"He then turned around and false-charged me and woofed at me," said Hans.

The officer stood his ground and took aim again at the bear but the dart turned sideways in mid-flight and bounced harmlessly off of the bear's thick coat.

The bear then looped back to the picnic area. He jumped up on the hood of the vehicle, which was occupied by the formerly-picnicking family and started licking the car windows which were cracked.

"It was all exciting for them. They thought it was wonderful," chuckled Hans. "They said they hadn't seen anything like that since Animal Planet."

The bear then returned to the picnic table for seconds.

"He was back on the picnic table," said Hans. "He opened a cooler with his front paw and grabbed a jug of milk."

Soon, Hans watched as the bear ambled into the woods, succumed to the dart, and finally passed out.

The bear was an example of a new breed of day-active bears which have become increasingly used to coexisting with humans. A day-active bear, said Hans, tends to live off of discarded human food and can easily become used to humans.

In fact, this particular bear, who was completely missing a leg, had been scavenging the Blood Mountain, Dick's Creek, and DeSoto Falls areas around for the past month.

According to Hans, the bear was relocated to his original territory about a mile from Dick's Creek. Hans is hoping the uncomfortable experience of being drugged and boxed up will deter the bear from returning to local dumpsters.

"I'm trying to see if he can be rehabilitated," he said. "This is what the National Park Service does in the Smokies. The bears apparently have such a bad time with it they don't come back."

Hans is banking that the year-and-a-half-old bear will be scared off of picnic baskets and begin a natural bear lifestyle.

[The Solemates]

i doubt the validity of this story, but Im going to the area this weekend so I will be on the lookout for him.