People who live with Bears!

Bear Hugs!

Bear hugs Title Slide

Today I am here to talk about Bears and Man living together and how many times Humans have been killed by different species of Bear – and what wild animal in north America is responsible for more human deaths than all species of Bear put together.

Many years ago – Juli and Frankie and I were doing a show at a sportsmen show in a state that had some of the most uptight Agricultural laws regarding letting a monkey into their state. Yes – I am talking about North Dakota!

I should mention that at this Sportmen show- they literally had Lions Tigers and Bears on Display but when the USDA agent came to the sportsman show – to do a surprise inspection – he went right to the show office and said this, “where’s the guy with the Monkey?!”

There were HUGE exotic animals in the building but all this guy was interested in was Frankie the Monkey.

Well – the only reason that I bring this up is that at this Sportsmen show – I would talk to the producers and they would tell me about what they had done in years past. I love exchanging show biz stories.

They started to tell me when they had a “wrestle with a LIVE BEAR” segment in their show. You heard me correctly. This company would have all kinds of variety acts in their show, they even had a big pool in front of the stage where lumberjacks would do log rolling competitions – but I am sure they never had a better act than letting the public wrestle a real BEAR!

2 BEAR Wrestling
And do you want to hear how that went?

Stories…

Viking player gets thrown in the pool
Red neck guy didn’t get his butt kicked, he got his butt …

But anyway – Bears are dangerous animals – right? Right?

I know that months ago I told you a story about when we were doing a show in the Smoky Mountains – and I was putting stuff in my car and Frankie was on my shoulder and he started barking – and pointed out a family of Black bears in our driveway – literally leaning up again the chalet we were living in. It was a Mama and her cubs and they were very cute and they didn’t seem interested in causing any trouble.

But when we got to the theater and told the people who were from there about the Bears they were shocked and relived to hear we were okay.

The Bears were cute – but was there something we don’t know?

We are just talking about Black Bears right now.
So Black Bear attacks are on the rise. And if you ask the people of northern MN they will say that it might be because of this man…

Dr. Rogers Video

Rogers published data last year showing nuisance bear complaints around Ely dropped by more than 80 percent in the 1980s through a practice known as diversionary feeding. Hungry bears were able to find food in strategic places to keep them from breaking into cabins or tipping over garbage cans. But they are also less fearful in approaching humans – because Dr. Rogers is conditioning them to think they Humans = food. But what if the humans don’t have any food to give them?! Show Dr. Rogers Saving the cubs in the pit.

Bear attacks
23 people were killed by black bears from 1900 to 1980. Less than 6 people every 20 years

But there have been 9 people killed in the last 9 years!

Grizzly Bears!
They have killed 15 people in the last nine years.
They are powerful animals – but you can find many people online that prove they have gotten very friendly with them.

Look at Jimbo! Lived his life in captivity and loved his keepers. He actually died last year at the age of 24 from Cancer.

In the statement, Jim and Susan, owners of the Orphaned Wildlife Center, explain that Jimbo had been sick for sometime now. He was fighting liver cancer. “To say that we are all heartbroken, would be an understatement. Jim and Susan especially. They are bereft, they are numb, their hearts are destroyed and they are just broken” the statement reads.

MANY parents struggle to maintain discipline in their home. But spare a thought for Jim and Susan Kowalczik whose main charge is a huge 1400lb Kodiak brown bear. The couple look after the 9ft giant at their orphanage where they have dedicated their lives to rescuing and releasing injured animals. They now care for 11 bears, including Kodiak brown bears, Syrian bears and black bears on their 100 acre estate in Otisville, New York. Most were rescued as cubs from breeding programs or nature reserves that closed down.

So what comes after the Grizzly Bear?

Polar Bears.

They are the largest carnivore on the planet. An Apex Preditor, and the population is not endangered – it is growing. It seems like they only kill 2 humans every 10 years – but it stands to reason – Humans aren’t going where Polar bears are found but look at this guy!

Here is Mark Dumas and his wife, Dawn, are fearless animal handlers at Beyond Just Bears in Canada, whose unusual pet is a polar bear named Agee.

Agee is a 60-stone (800lb) polar bear that they’ve managed to train to star in high-budget TV adverts and movies. She’s also often seen messing about with Mark, giving him bear hugs, accepting loving kisses and even swimming with him.

So Do you remember the movie the Blair Witch Project?

who hike in the Black Hills near Burkittsville, Maryland in 1994 to film a documentary about a local legend known as the Blair Witch. The three disappeared, but their equipment and footage is discovered a year later…Well – he is a story very similar to that. About the life and death of grizzly bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell. he was in Alaska – living among the Grizzly Bears – “protecting them”

All this being said. There is an animal that is more responsible for way more human deaths than all species of Bear combined.

200 Deaths a year – the white tail deer.

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