Plans For Dealing With Bears

[Jacalynn Furlong]

There were a couple of meetings in Glovertown to address the black bear issue in the region and while most of those who attended the sessions were not totally satisfied, they are going to give the government plans a try for a couple of weeks. More than a half a dozen officials from different levels of government met yesterday morning with the residents, and all came to the conclusion the sudden influx of bears can be attributed to the closure of the nearby dump. Glovertown Mayor David Saunders says though he is not sure theplan presented will work, he is giving it two weeks and asks residents to do the same.

He explains that officials are planning on bringing in more man power with complete patrols in the Glovertown area. Over the next two weeks, more equipment will be brought in to see how bears react to different situations in the town. The mayor says the bears will be removed from town by traps and that there may currently be as many as 30 bears around Glovertown.

Saunders notes that not everyone walked away from the public meeting satisfied.  He estimates that 70% of the people who attended would like to see a cull in place, but says it is not a feasible option at this time.

He suggests that people are concerned because the bears are no longer afraid of humans, and come in close proximity to homes during the day. He says the situation is very dangerous.

Saunders says there is an emergency phone line in place to report bear sightings. You can contact the Gambo duty officer at 674-1521 or call 424-1656.

VOCM NEWS