The C.A.S.H. Courier Newsletter
Summer-Fall 2012 Issue
Revenge Killing of Wildlife is Senseless
By E.M. Fay
Photo by Jim Robertson,
Animals in the Wild
Whenever we venture into national parks or other wild lands it is
incumbent upon us to inform ourselves beforehand about the wildlife who call
the area home. Although Americans generally think of public land as
belonging to us all, we should remember that the forests, prairies, and
other landscapes we are privileged to visit are the very real homelands of
many types of animals, and respect them as such.
This respect should not be so hard to come by considering that most
people grasp the concept of human-owned property, and know that they will
get into trouble if they just walk boldly into a person's house unannounced.
If we simply apply that idea to the wilderness, we might save wildlife and
ourselves much grief.
In late August, a 49-year-old man from San Diego, Richard White, was
hiking in Alaska's Denali National Park when he came upon a male grizzly
bear grazing. He stopped to photograph the impressive animal for, what the
record shows, was at least eight minutes. Sadly, for both Mr. White and the
bear, his actions were upsetting in some way, and the bear eventually lost
patience with the intruder and mauled him to death. Officials said this was
the first fatal attack in the Park's history.
Denali Park rules require people to keep at least a quarter of a mile
distance between themselves and wildlife. However, Mr. White was far closer,
approx. 50 yards from the bear when he photographed him. Had he merely
stumbled upon the grizzly and then backed away, perhaps they would both
still be alive and well, but he chose to interact with the bear, whether he
realized it or not, when he started photographing him.
When surprised at close range, grizzly bears are known to be more
dangerous than black bears. But in general, most bears do not want to bother
with humans at all. They simply wish to be left alone.
In this case, after Mr. White's death was discovered by other hikers, his
camera was found, and the investigators reported that the photographs show
the bear behaving peacefully before the fatal attack.
Park Superintendent Paul Anderson stated, "They show the bear grazing in
the willows, not acting aggressive in any form or manner during that period
of time."
In spite of this evidence, state police hunted the bear using a
helicopter, shot and killed him. It was determined from the autopsy that it
was indeed the same bear who killed Mr. White.
But where is the justification or even the logic in this revenge killing
of the grizzly?
Typically, when a human is killed by an animal - be it a bear, a tiger, a
shark - the local authorities, as well as any hunters who might be nearby,
dash out immediately to search and destroy. Often, they have no idea if they
are "punishing" the actual "culprit" or some innocent bystander; and
usually, a number of animals are destroyed as "collateral damage." No
thought is given as to the injustice of such actions, let alone considering
that the animal was acting in self defense against what was essentially an
intruder in his home.
This particular grizzly may well have had a family he was protecting - a
family that is now defenseless.
Clearly, our government needs a more enlightened policy. As tragic as a
person's death is, killing an animal for revenge does not revive the
deceased human and inflicts undeserved suffering on wildlife. Let's think
rationally. People need to be taught to respect the home territory of all
wild animals, whether they are deemed dangerous or not. Trespassing in their
habitat should not be done casually, without considering possible
consequences. Occasionally a human will pay a price for a foolish choice
that he or she has made, but the animal whose home was invaded should not be
blamed, and certainly not other animals who also fall victim to "revenge
killing."
E. M. Fay writes about wildlife and the environment.
Go on to
Revenge Killing of Alligator
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