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Let Bears Live Free: Jack Boudreau's Perspective Part IV

By 250 News

by Jack Boudreau

This is the final installment  of a four part series submitted by Jack Boudreau, outdoorsman and local author.

Boudreau has written several books which focus on outdoor life in the region including; "Grizzly Bear Mountain", "Crazy Man's Creek", "Mountains, Campfires and Memories", "Wilderness Dreams" and "Wild and Free". 

Last month, he attended the Charlie Russell “Living with Bears” presentation at UNBC. 

Boudreau offers a different view of living with bears.

Part Four: The Final Message

So in summary, what was the final message an inexperienced person can take from this lecture? 

It is OK to imprison young bears. It is OK to feed bears. It is OK to pet bear cubs; in some cases mama grizzly will let you sit with her cubs while she goes for walks. It is even OK to take food away from a bear while it is feeding – an action guaranteed to produce fatalities. 

During my years around grizzly bears I have noticed that there is a quality about them that gives them the right to be king of the mountains. I remember watching a grizzly tear a moose carcass to pieces. The bear was unaware of my presence and as I watched him I noticed the wild look in his eyes – a look that went right through me. There was also an aura of power and the vitality that comes from being wild. As he appeared to look right at me, I felt shivers run up and down my spine. To just say I was impressed is a gross understatement. 

(photo at right courtesy National Wildlife Federation)

By comparison, I have watched grizzlies in captivity and they are not the same animal. The wild look, or spirit if you wish, is gone from their eyes. To use the term “grizzly heart” in regards to tame bears is an obvious oxymoron, because the heart of the grizzly has been destroyed. As one wildlife officer put it, “They are reduced to the level of toys for human entertainment.” 

My observations have told me that captive bears are mere shadows of their kin in the wild and spend hours walking in circles or lying down with despair and boredom written all over them. 
Perhaps it is time that society no longer accepts lame reasons for the imprisonment of bears. Let us not buy the line about holding bears for their own well-being. The best way to help grizzlies is by protecting the high-density nursery areas such as Grizzly Bear Mountain east of Prince George, BC. In just over one day we counted 26 different grizzlies in an area comprising two square kilometres – five were lone bears and the rest were mothers, cubs, and yearlings. Visitors to this area during September and October should stick to a few viewing spots and not approach Grizzly Bear Mountain. Common sense should tell us that people wandering all over this area drives the bears away. This denies them access to their favourite food at this time of year – the avalanche lily, so essential just prior to their den time. 

Finally, I think the most dangerous aspect of this presentation is that people with no bush knowledge will take it at face value. The probability of bear disasters as well as fatalities is grounds for sober thought about the message being sent to the public. 

(photo copyright Peter Zwiers www.happyhoppy.ca)


In my opinion the solution is simple – leave bears free and wild to roam the wilderness as nature intended. Believe it or not they can get along quite well without our constant interference. 
-Jack Boudreau 




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