By Ryan Pilon

A second bear killed in Prince Albert

May 21, 2011 | 7:41 AM

On the same day a mother bear was shot and killed in the Hazeldell area, another bear was disposed of in the southeast side of Prince Albert.

This bear was a male, and was spotted near 40th St. E.

Bonnie Greene, a conservation officer in the education unit, said they were called by the Prince Albert Police Service about the bear. Green said the conservation officer attempted to scare the bear from the area, but it refused to leave, and was quite bold.

Greene said the officer decided to shoot the bear because it was too dangerous to try and tranquilize it.

“Chemically immobilizing an animal, especially bears, can be extremely dangerous, and it takes several minutes for the bear to become immobiled,” said Greene.

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“In that time they can travel a considerable distance, and become incredibly aggressive, so public safety continues to be our first priority.”

Susan Medynski, however, doesn’t believe the animal needed to be shot. She saw the bear twice that day, once in front of her home at about 1p.m., and the other time at 7 p.m. in her backyard. She said both times the bear ran into the bush when it spotted her.

“He wasn’t aggressive, he wasn’t about to attack, he was just sitting in the bush,” she said.
Medynski said she was inside her home when she heard a gunshot, and while running outside there was a second gunshot and that’s when she heard the bear crying. A third shot killed the bear.

“I have never considered myself a tree hugger or an animal activist or anything like that, but I know right from right and wrong from wrong, and that was so wrong,” she said.

While there may be debate among the public over whether the officers should have killed the bears, the fact remains that two bears entered Prince Albert on the same night, which Greene said is dangerous.

“Due to the late, wet spring we’ve had this year, these bears are encroaching into highly populated residential areas in search of food, which can create further potential dangerous situation,” said Greene.

Greene said they are still searching for the mother bear’s cubs.

For more: Bear was dangerous: conservation officer

rpilon@panow.com