“The bear ‘was fhest
ported “last Tuesday
‘when. Mr. and’ Mis.
Sarich.: of: 3330 ‘Kalum
: Street had their garbage
“gone over thoroughly by:
the animal: “Tuesday
ight a ‘trap was set but
it’ had ‘to .go' back’ to:
‘Kitimat: early the: next.
‘day. Hours after it was:
removed the-bear made
another visit fo the
* home,
"After several days ‘of
searching local S.P.C.A.
officer Floyd Swaine
finally manged to track
“down'the bear trap —
belonging to the local
-Fish: .and - Wildlife
: Branch. The _preblem

‘“.-Was- that the local

ca branch’ ‘officer was out
“of town’ and nobody
: seemed. to know quite
what was going on. —
“The trap was set
again ‘Thursday. night
after’ the bear had
feasted ‘several more
times, ©.
o", The _trap is a simple
‘affair, a’ culvert with

-.. one end.welded shut arid.
_-a'trap door on the other

end. A release cable for
- ‘the door was hooked up
“to. a meaty bone and

|, Sarich ‘spread some

~. chicken bones and other
- wefuse around the mouth —
of the trap.

..Friday morning Mrs.”
Sarich drove: her sister
to the airport and when

was: ‘sornething | in the

trap.

“T wasn’t. even’ ‘going .
to go see what it was,”
she said. “I just went in
the house, phon _the “

RCMP : and’; told”: hem.
there was ‘something in
the trap.”

.. Swaine was.at home
in a matter of minutes

and confirmed that they -
had the bear.

Tom Murphy from
Kitimat, | ‘the district
supervisor of ~ the
S.P.C.A. arrived around
noon and decided the
bear would be set fee
rather than flown to the
Stanley Park Zoo; They
loaded the trap, bear
and all, onto Murphy’s
pick-up | truck and were
off,

..The ride was'a rather
novel experience for the
bear and he showed his
disapproval when he

was released at a gravel.

pit near Onion Lake.

With Murphy holding a
‘loaded gun for sound
effects if the bear

proved reluctant to head ©
for the bush Swaine -
_ opened ‘the trap door.

~ The. bear, a yearling
about: the size of a full-

Brown: :German-

Shepherd, poked out: a
cuatious- nose and then

- headed for the woods.

‘He climbed. the bank. of
the gravel pit like a

natural born mountain :
_ climber, then paused 1t

the top ‘fora last look.
. After'a few moments

he turned and lumbered ~

off into: the bush, free
again.

‘The black bear | is s the “
“eommonest bear in this

province but its name is
somewhat misleading
- since it is not necessarily
black. While the. black

_ phase is most common, -

colour ‘may range

‘through - ¢i nnamon,

‘bluish, to white, The

white varieties, which
may contain a reddish

tinge, are most com-
- monly found near the c-

“oast and. are called

“Kermodei' bears.

- Kermodei are protected.
Black bears may be
distinguished from
grizzlies by their smaller
size, the less-prominent
shoulder hump, and the
lighter -muzzle. . Their
¢laws are also less
‘prominent than those of
the grizzly Adult blacks
. weigh between 195 - and
600 pounds.

Common sense about -

- Bears.

"Bears are normally. 7
‘afr ‘aid of "nan, But in,

“recent. ‘years. they: ‘have
-become ‘used: to “man’s -
garbage dumps and can’:
“come: very close to

camps and settlements.

If approached too close or
- cut-off from cubs or food
supply they can be
_, dangerous.

_ In this area they follow ;
‘streams during the: "
‘salmon run,
accompanied during the

.' spring by their young. "It

is wise to give such areas
a ‘wide berth: Travelling

alone in the wilderness it-

“is wise to attach a cup or
"something that will rattle.

. “against ‘your’ pack. -- as.
‘the sound will let the bear

know you are.coming - -
“and-he’ll normally get out
“of your way. Bears,

“particularly — grizzlies

hate loud metallic sounds.
such as that of an ax
beaten against a frying p-
an - this will usually send
“them: _Tunning. | Do. not

leave food open near your ..

“camp... Never approach a
bear, Climb a. tree if a -

. bear follows you,