Too hazardous to help wire-bound bear: MNR
A bear caught in a snare in northwestern Ontario prompts local man to raise alarm about animal's safety
The Ministry of Natural Resources says it did all it could to try to get a snare off a bear's neck.
CBC News reported Thursday that a man near Emo, Ont. feels the bear could perish if the snare that’s cutting into its flesh is not removed.
A spokesperson with the MNR said the animal is very overweight and hard to tranquilize.
"It was a really hazardous thing for our conservation officers and technicians to be attempting to try to trap or chemical immobilize a bear when there are, you know, another 40 bears wandering around," Jolanta Kowalski said.
She said Michael Scheibler's habit of feeding bears has contributed to the animal being overweight and difficult to sedate.
"We do know that the bear can still open its mouth, and it can eat," she noted.
"But, we are not going to put the safety of our staff at risk in a situation like that again."
With the landowner feeding more than 40 bears on a small parcel of land, it's hazardous for MNR staff to try to immobilize the one that has a snare wrapped around its neck. The MNR will not try to tranquilize the bear again, Kowalski added.