Each morning this week, when I step outside my door to go to to work, I see the silhouette of a bear in the pine tree across the street. From this distance, it looks just like the several-hundred-pound black bear that I first discovered in the same position, on the same branch, last Saturday morning. But it is not him. It is a 70-pound metal sculpture created by my neighbor, Mark Benkert, honoring the memory of the bear. The following video tells the story of how it got there.
“Climb the Pine” by Patrice Robbins
The Story of the Bear Sculpture
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{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
This is beyond amazing. It is a gift, a spiritual experience to look into the eyes of this being that is so much a part of the wild. To kill it was the height of insensitivity and ignorance.
At the end of the day, even as I now more fully understand that DFG was “following orders,” I still ask: HOW COULD YOU? What kind of human being, what kind of mind could do such a thing!
I hope to come to a place of calm where I can watch this bear video, and the other one posted earlier, and really enjoy the unique experience of seeing this bear so close…
One problem I have. It says, “By nightfall the area was cleared.” Someone who was not there might imagine an area that was quiet and free of cars, noise and people. That is simply not the case. It was never dark or quiet. I was orginally told that the bear would be given until 2 am to come down the tree on his own but at about 9:30 pm I saw activity near the tree and spoke with the police/sheriff whose running vehicle was in the Signal/Ventura intersection…and he vaguely said plans had changed… but even at that point I was asking questions about the tranquilizing/transport process…and given the impression the bear would be taken to Rose Valley/Lions Camp area, all of which worried me as I was concerned about other bears in the area, food, water..
Now I will watch the rest of the video…
I can’t stop crying…thank you.
I finally realized why this whole incident continues to fill with such grief and horror. It’s not just that it happened. It’s that I stood there as close to the tree and the men from DFG as our local police, who I trust to prevent crime, would allow.
I never even shouted, “STOP. Please do not do this!” I did nothing. And that is so not like me! I would not care if I was arrested — that would have been better than standing by watching a murder unfolding before my eyes.
Wow, I’m still crying as I type. At the beginning of the video I thought, how cold and dead a piece of metal hoisted into a tree compared to that wonderful living breathing being called bear. Anger welled up. No piece of art can replace that creature. No man made imitation, no matter how well executed, can match the beauty and brilliance of the real bear. Then anger gave way to intense grief. What is wrong with men that they can do these horrors? Is there any hope of stopping the killing? Let that bear remind us that we must all become like Noah and save this Arc called Earth and all its creatures, lest we forget and give in to the seductions of superficial and useless consumption of things and entertainments distracting us from our higher purpose. And here I must confess that that is exactly what I was doing when that bear was shot. I was at the Art Center, eating and drinking, such as it was, which wasn’t much. Why wasn’t I holding vigil for that bear? Why did I think that those armed men would do anything but what they were trained to do…. Shoot guns and kill. Why did I abdicate authority to people like that? Because I was stupid and naive. Ignorant and programmed by falsehoods. Living in delusion and illusion. Thank you Patrice for this amazing document. Now the healing can begin.
This video is so beautiful and touching! Thank you creators of? it and Mark for the sculpture!
Do you notice how the bear is licking and yawning? Those are called calming signals. They are body language an animal uses to calm themselves & others. This bear was very docile and wise.
“Very little of the great cruelty shown by men can really be attributed to cruel instinct. Most of it comes from thoughtlessness or inherited habit. The roots of cruelty, therefore, are not so much strong as widespread. But the time must come when inhumanity protected by custom and thoughtlessness will succumb before humanity championed by thought. Let us work that this time may come.” ~Albert Schweitzer
To hell with “orders” and “policy” — we all know they could have very easily decided to relocate this bear like so many others have been. Instead of finding the right solution they opted for the easiest one and that is unacceptable.
This bear had a purpose under heaven — to bring the community together and make sure this does not happen to another creature! I’m sure many people feel the way Suza does wondering why she didn’t try to stop it. Yes, one person protesting is admirable but many people standing together is powerful. I think we can all agree, the next bear that finds himself in the same situation will have a band of determined human beings between him and the Dept. of Fish and Game. We definitely won’t be making it easy for them ever again!
On a separate note, what a beautiful gesture by Mark Benkert! His talents and efforts have given us the perfect reminder. Let’s try not to make it one full of sorrow but, rather, one of determination and action!
“Calling All Angels” is Jane Siberry.
Train has a completely different song with the same title.
Siberry’s version is well,shall we say “Angelic”!
I’ll say it again. Why wasn’t a safety net put under the bear by the FD? Why was it necessary to shoot such a beautiful animal and who’s decision was it? Have they shot the nuts off the killer yet???
I have to clarify my previous comment.
Jane Siberry wrote “Calling All Angels”.
But the version on the video may not be her singing.
Very touching video.
Thanks
LUV YOU ALISO BEAR
~LUV YOU OJAI FOLKS~
~~~LUV YOU ALISO BEAR~~~
~~~LUV YOU OJAI FOLKS~~~
Xus Bear, Aliso Bear,
Midwife Bear of our awakening,
community re-birth
you blessed us, healed us,
with the touch of our Creator
returned to us the knowing of HER love,
our Mother Earth …
Bear
You knew you were in a tight spot
Yet you remained present, focused;
Neither fearing nor hoping
Only Wise
Seeing Things As They Are
And Being One with All That Is
Blessed Be to You, Bear Spirit
O Wise One; Such Courage, Strength
Thank you for blessing us with your presence in our lives
Forgive us for we are ignorant
And do not understand certain things of great importance
May you forever enjoy happiness and
Freedom from suffering!
Thank you, Crow, for your beautiful Bear poem. When I have time I’d like to gather all the Bear poems in one place here on the Ojai Post and also on the upcoming Ojai Wildlife web site.
The streams are flowing here in the riverbottom… The pools of water are so crystal clear… I thought of the Bear as I dunked my head in the cold water…and how much Bear would have enjoyed drinking this fresh, clean water…it felt like holy water, in the true sense of the word…
Ballad of the Aliso Street Bear
I fear the two-legged creature
More than any other.
I know not why.
But my thirst
Drives me into his lair.
I wait until dark
When all his kind
Have gone into their caves
And my blackness
Blends into the night.
And there in the very heart of his land
I find where the two-legged creature
Keeps his supply of sacred water
A whole fountain of precious water
And I slake my aching thirst
To my heart’s content.
I want to make my escape
But delicious scents surround me.
I smell fish and new aromas
Beyond anything I have ever tasted.
Powerful fragrances inflame my hunger.
Maybe the two-legged creature
Will allow me to follow my nose
For one small hour
Before I find my way home.
But wait — there he is –
I have nearly stumbled into his cave.
And there is another, and one
With a short stick in his hand.
Nowhere to go but to climb.
Here is a strong, sturdy tree,
One equal to my weight.
In ten seconds I am forty feet high.
Maybe the two-legged creature
Cannot see me here.
I will wait here quietly
Until he goes back into his cave.
Then I will make my escape.
I am good at waiting.
I will wait longer than he can.
He is so quick and impatient.
I will wait in this tree
All night if I must.
But the two-legged creature
Remains down below.
I can hear him
I can smell him
My fear of him grows.
Why won’t he go back in his cave?
I want to go home.
I have dozed off
And now light is filling the land
And many two-legged creatures
Are gathering down below.
I am afraid.
I want to go home.
The hot sun fills the sky.
More and more two-legged creatures
Gather down below.
I see them and smell them and I can sense
Their restless energy.
I am hungry.
I am afraid.
I want to go home.
At long last sweet night falls once again,
Black night, black like my body.
Maybe I will be safe now.
I am tired.
I am afraid.
I want to go home.
But now I can see the two-legged creature
Is holding a long stick.
He is pointing it at me.
The stick spits a vicious arrow
Deep into my leg,
Hot like a thousand bee stings.
I try to climb higher
But I am feeling weak.
The stick spits again and another
Wicked arrow pierces my back.
I am so tired now
I feel faint
I am falling
I am falling
I want to go home.
our dearest bear
your tears did share
your love of life
the stars in the night
sparkling water so bright
all of this did, and more, give up
berries and brook, honey, dew, and buttercup
that we might see,
hear your desperate plea,
feel/reveal our two-legged insanity
our murder of your ‘once’ sacred Mother,
every living/breathing sister/brother
whose tears you did share …
the tears we now share ..
Thank you, Dear Humans, for these sensitive, gentle, beautiful, heart-opening poems.
I will save them for a future “Ojai Bear Poetry” article.
I want to recommend a video with Derrick Jensen:
“Don´t Fear the Bears.”
http://rememberthebear.ning.com/video/derrick-jensen-dont-fear-the
The bear incident while unfortunate doesn’t need to have this ongoing public lament…it is time for everyone to move on with their lives….when we choose to live so close to the mountains, this kind of incident is bound to happen….
Jeff, you are so right, “when we choose to live so close to the mountains, this kind of incident is bound to happen.”
But these incidents do not need to result in killing our wildlife.
In case you missed it, here is an excerpt from the new Memorandum released by Assemblymember Pedro Nava.
“In light of both increased development in the urban/wildland interface, larger bear populations, and the numerous wildfires in recent years that destroy wildlife habitat and force animals closer to contact with humans, it is clear that incidents similar to that which occurred in Ojai will only become more frequent.
It is important that we learn from this situation so that we can prevent it from occurring again in the future.”