More Ojai Residents Speak Out About the Killing of the Aliso Street Bear
Part One in a series on the Ojai Community's response to a killing of a black bear in Ojai.
One of the most misunderstood of all creatures is the bear. Like so many other Ojai residents I am filled with sorrow and anger over the killing of a black bear who climbed a tree on Aliso Street, a residential street in downtown Ojai, a few miles away from the mountains that surround the Ojai Valley.
This is not the first bear that has been killed in recent years in the neighborhoods of our valley, but we hope that it will be the last.
In our efforts to prevent this from happening again in the future, a group of concerned citizens is in the process of educating themselves about the habits of black bears, the statewide policies of the Department of Fish & Game's policy on bear encounters, and local law enforcement, as well as how other communities are handling the problems that arise when bears show up in residential neighborhoods.
The constructive idea of an "Ojai Bear Commission," has also been proposed, and will be included in this series.
Over the past several days dozens of articles, inluding five here on the Ojai Post (see related links at end of article), and hundreds of Comments have been written in the local media. I would like to start this Series by quoting a few of the Comments from residents that reflect the observations and concerns that many other eye-witnesses have.
A resident living on Aliso and Signal Street writes:
"I wish all officials had kept the area cordoned off until later that night, escorted the 2 A.M. drunks elsewhere so they wouldn't start yelling as they did the night before..and allowed the bear to come down the tree.
They could have darted HIM then if necessary. Instead when they started darting him, he went approx. 12 feet higher in the tree and they continued darting him,,six times until he fell out of the tree. I hope he was thoroughly tranquilized because he had many broken bones, had landed in cactus, and who knows about internal injuries.
Then they shot him with a rifle. I realize that if he was severely injured it was necessary to kill him .....as will probably be the excuse. None of this had to happen this way.
The night before the sheriff spotted him drinking at CLUFF PARK where they did try to herd him to Signal St. He got to Signal St. and turned left OK right into my apartment complex on the northeast corner of Aliso and Signal.He got confused and got behind the apartment and the chain link fence next door on Signal.
You would not believe the noise this poor confused bear made. He came out finally scared to death. The sheriff were here and he disappeared only to be in the tree across the street a short time later.
I am sickened by the events that happened and the behavior I saw for myself of the people bringing their children, pets, even motorcycles. It was a human circus all day. We asked people in their cars to please turn around.Very few complied. As the sun got higher in the sky the people came in droves ignoring any pleas of being quiet or leaving.
Yes, a neighbor did put cones up, thank God. Soon the sheriff did, so people parked their cars WHEREVER THEY COULD AND STREAMED UP THE STREET, KIDS ON BIKES, TODDLERS IN TOW,..THEY JUST KEPT COMING EVEN THOUGH WE TOLD THEM THAT THE SHERIFF SAID IF THE BEAR HAPPENED TO START DOWN THE TREE IT WOULD BE KILLED (UNDERSTANDABLE CONSIDERING THE CROWDS!)
So the sheriff had to tape off the street. Some people actually had the nerve to ignore the tape and each time an officer had to walk up the street. If this happens again and it will, I pray that every single person that refused to leave the area knows that they also were also a part of the problem.
Sure, curiosity made them act like fools but it was at the bear's expense and it just wasn't fair to jeopardize a life that at the time we did not know was doomed. I just cannot get this beautiful, scared, INNOCENT BEAR OUT OF MY MIND. EXAMPLE OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR: "I AM BEHIND THE TAPE NOW SO I CAN YELL ALL I WANT!" "I AM GOING UNDER THE TAPE ANYWAY AND JUST LET THEM TRY TO STOP ME!" (OF COURSE THEY HAD TO COME SHEEPISHLY RIGHT BACK AFTER THE SHERIFF CAME UP AND TOLD THEM THE TAPE APPLIED TO THEM ALSO.)
My neighbor and I sat in our yard and watched the people at the end near Signal! It sure were a lot of lessons learned in human behavior. However, do not think for one minute that I think the Fish and Game were going to allow this bear to live regardless of what he did. Now you know what the excuse will be and unfortunately, if he was that severely injured then it was the right thing to do.
WHY DID THEY NOT WAIT UNTIL, SAY FOUR A.M.?"
Comment #86 Posted by: Aliso & Signal Sts. Resident | October 13, 2009 12:19 AM
Posted under Bear in Downtown Ojai
Related Links:
Bear in Downtown Ojai Posted by Tyler Suchman
http://www.ojaipost.com/2009/10/bear_in_downtown_ojai.shtml
Pet Psychic Bear Coverage, by Laura Stinchfield
http://www.ojaipost.com/2009/10/pet_psychic_bear_coverage.shtml
What I saw from the Aliso St. Bear Tragedy – A Timeline
by Chris Nottoli, Producing Artistic Director, Theater 150...
http://www.ojaipost.com/2009/10/what_i_saw_from_the_aliso_st_b.shtml
The bear’s death warrant? Public liability. Posted by Suza Francina
http://www.ojaipost.com/2009/10/the_bears_death_warrant_public_1.shtml
Bear's Death Deserves a Constructive Community Response,
by Robert Peake
http://www.ojaipost.com/2009/10/bears_death_deserves_a_constru.shtml
Resources:
Department of Fish & Game Statewide Black Bear Policy 2071
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/bear/statewidepolicy.html
More resources to come
About the author: Suza Francina has lived in the Ojai Valley since 1957. She is a former Ojai City Council Member and Mayor of Ojai and a longtime animal advocate.
| Permalink | author bio | 
Comments (7)
Why can Fish and Game save the bears in Monrovia and Bradbury and turn them safely back to the wilderness and not Ojai? Who made the decision to kill the bear?
Comment #1 Posted by: Cara | October 13, 2009 05:59 AM
Why didn't the sheriff and/or police do crowd control and send the looky loos home so they could get the bear down safely?? This is truely an abomination and should be front row news everywhere!!! Get the media involved. This did not have to happen.
Comment #2 Posted by: Cara | October 13, 2009 06:04 AM
I grieve the loss of this wild and majestic soul who sought refuge in our community. May I suggest that those who wish to express their mourning wear black head to foot for the next few days (or a black armband or another symbol). Please come in this attire and speak up at the city meeting on Tuesday night 7:30 at the Ojai City Council Chambers.
Comment #3 Posted by: Anita Hendricks | October 13, 2009 07:46 AM
What would have Suza Francina done in this situation if she were in charge?
Comment #4 Posted by: Big black bear | October 13, 2009 07:52 AM
I would immediately call the "Bear Whisperer."
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16088937
Off the top of my head, I would tell everyone to stay indoors.
I would close the streets to traffic (with the exception of emergency vehicles).
I would consult with bear experts regarding the wisdom of providing water but absolutely no food!
Commerce would stop. Time woud stop. The money spent on all the resources and man-power used to kill the bear would be used to help defray the business losses.
I would for sure get the word out that Farmer's Market be moved to another area so that this Sunday morning pressure was removed.
A wildlife expert film maker woud video the whole event.
Ojai would make International News as the town that saved the bear.
The free PR for Ojai would more than compensate for any incovenience.
People could bang pots and pans if the bear lingered too long in their yard on his way back to the mountains.
BEAR PROOF ALL GARBAGE CANS
INSTRUCT THE HUMAN NATIVES NEVER NEVER TO FEED BEARS!
Stay tuned. That will be part of this Series.
Comment #5 Posted by: Suza to Big Black Bear | October 13, 2009 08:52 AM
Terrific ideas!
Comment #6 Posted by: Candy Pope | October 13, 2009 10:21 AM
It is so disheartening that the heads of the “authorities” won out over the hearts of all the people who were standing behind the survival of this magnificent black bear. I know that many people were sending out good thoughts, visualizing its safe escape, praying and hoping. I have to believe that since none of that worked, there was a purpose behind the giving of that bear’s life. It may be that the purpose is to gather determination for a solution to the co-habitation of humans and wildlife, because the solution certainly doesn’t include the tactics of Fish and Game. We can do better than that, and this should never happen again!
Comment #7 Posted by: sharon | October 13, 2009 11:34 AM