Post by Woody Williams on Sept 23, 2005 11:55:42 GMT -5
PUBLICATION: The Winnipeg Sun
DATE: 2005.09.22
BYLINE: Mike Aiken, Sun Media
DATELINE: Kenora, Ont.
A logging company employee is recovering in a Winnipeg hospital following a vicious attack from a black bear in northwestern Ontario.
About 4 a.m. yesterday, employees of the Moose Creek Reforestation working in the Pakwash Forest between Ear Falls and Red Lake -- about 150 km northeast of Kenora -- were asleep when one of them was dragged
from their tent into the woods.
"This bear meant business. He wasn't going to back off," Bill Skene said.
While the others tried to beat away the predator from their colleague, the animal reared and threatened to swat his tormentors, before dragging the man farther into the bush.
Fortunately, the employees were eventually successful in saving the man, who was rushed to an ambulance for medical attention.
Puncture wounds
Medical staff at Red Lake transferred him to Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, where the victim was reported to be in stable condition, with puncture wounds and abrasions to his back, upper arm, head and shoulder.
His name was not released.
"This is terrible. Something has to be done. There's too many bears out there," said Skene.
Skene, a veteran of the logging business, said he's seen more nuisance bears this year than in his 20- year career. Although equipped with pepper spray in case of an attack, the employee never had a chance to use it, Skene said, adding the man had been working in the bush for much of the past eight years.
Poor berry crops
"There's a bear problem in Ontario and the government has to deal with it," Skene said.
The attack is likely related to poor berry crops and a lack of food in the woods this summer, causing the bear to do unusual things in search of food, said Norm Hissop, Kenora spokesman for the Ontario Ministry of
Natural Resources.
It has nothing to do with the demise of the spring bear hunt in Ontario, he said.
"That's the knee-jerk reaction," said Hissop.
While Hissop reported only one incident in Kenora last year and six across his MNR territory last year, his statistics are already well above those levels for this year, he said.
However, Hissop noted there are similar problems in Manitoba -- even though the province has a spring and fall bear hunt in place.
The attack is the latest in a number of reports from across the country, including attacks on farm animals in northwestern Ontario earlier in the month.
In Manitoba, Harvey Robinson, 68, was killed Aug. 26 after encountering a black bear near his home in the Rural Municipality of St. Clements.
Earlier this month, Lac du Bonnet farmer Dennis Heckert and his dog were also attacked but lived to tell the tale.
DATE: 2005.09.22
BYLINE: Mike Aiken, Sun Media
DATELINE: Kenora, Ont.
A logging company employee is recovering in a Winnipeg hospital following a vicious attack from a black bear in northwestern Ontario.
About 4 a.m. yesterday, employees of the Moose Creek Reforestation working in the Pakwash Forest between Ear Falls and Red Lake -- about 150 km northeast of Kenora -- were asleep when one of them was dragged
from their tent into the woods.
"This bear meant business. He wasn't going to back off," Bill Skene said.
While the others tried to beat away the predator from their colleague, the animal reared and threatened to swat his tormentors, before dragging the man farther into the bush.
Fortunately, the employees were eventually successful in saving the man, who was rushed to an ambulance for medical attention.
Puncture wounds
Medical staff at Red Lake transferred him to Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, where the victim was reported to be in stable condition, with puncture wounds and abrasions to his back, upper arm, head and shoulder.
His name was not released.
"This is terrible. Something has to be done. There's too many bears out there," said Skene.
Skene, a veteran of the logging business, said he's seen more nuisance bears this year than in his 20- year career. Although equipped with pepper spray in case of an attack, the employee never had a chance to use it, Skene said, adding the man had been working in the bush for much of the past eight years.
Poor berry crops
"There's a bear problem in Ontario and the government has to deal with it," Skene said.
The attack is likely related to poor berry crops and a lack of food in the woods this summer, causing the bear to do unusual things in search of food, said Norm Hissop, Kenora spokesman for the Ontario Ministry of
Natural Resources.
It has nothing to do with the demise of the spring bear hunt in Ontario, he said.
"That's the knee-jerk reaction," said Hissop.
While Hissop reported only one incident in Kenora last year and six across his MNR territory last year, his statistics are already well above those levels for this year, he said.
However, Hissop noted there are similar problems in Manitoba -- even though the province has a spring and fall bear hunt in place.
The attack is the latest in a number of reports from across the country, including attacks on farm animals in northwestern Ontario earlier in the month.
In Manitoba, Harvey Robinson, 68, was killed Aug. 26 after encountering a black bear near his home in the Rural Municipality of St. Clements.
Earlier this month, Lac du Bonnet farmer Dennis Heckert and his dog were also attacked but lived to tell the tale.
