Greater Sudbury Police are reporting that a bear was shot and killed in New Sudbury yesterday morning and that the bear suffered before dying. This incident is unfortunate and should not have happened. The state should’ve done their duty to protect the people from the bears. They are unusually active and becoming very bold, to the point of looking at us through our back porches. They are extra hungry this summer as the blue berry crop is virtually non-existent. It should not be the Police’s duty to handle this, they certainly have better things to do. It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Natural Resources, however the gov’t has hamstrung them and left us all in a bad situation. The MNR can’t do anything and the Police are a tad busy doing, well policing. So someone took matters into their own hands and shot the bear. As previously stated the MNR and Police have issued a statement that the bear suffered. This is unfortunate and should not have been. Whomever shot the bear should’ve made sure that it was dead before running away. This person who decided to protect the people from the bear, or perhaps his/her own children is now in a lot of trouble and rightfully so for allowing the bear to suffer and I’m sure for discharging his/her firearm within city limits and for the actual killing of the bear. Ironically it wasn’t a report of a gunshot that brought the police, it was the report of a bear. Go figure.

There needs to be a proactive approach from the Provincial Government with regards to bears here in the North. Especially during seasons like this when they are having a hard time finding food. Bears are just animals and they are hungry. Even if we managed to take away all the temptations, it won’t solve the problem of too many bears, not enough food. If the state can’t help solve the problem then the people will have no choice and more and more bears will be shot and killed in our streets either by the Police/MNR or by the people.