“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,