Asheville Multiple online petitions have generated thousands of signatures seeking punishment and greater wildlife protections following the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s decision not to charge the man caught on film pulling a black bear cub from a tree for a photo Law.
Taylor Adams, 35, who has lived in Asheville for nine years, started a Change.org petition that gained more than 1,500 signatures in four days. Adams told the Citizen-Times on April 23 that she started the petition because there were so many local stories that broke my heart, such as last year’s Blue Ridge Parkway visitors trying to hug and feed a bear cub.
“I do feel strongly that the ongoing actions against wildlife in our area are unjustified and that people are not being held accountable,” Adams said. I really hope (the petition) starts a movement to show people that you can’t get away with this and this is unacceptable.
Adams, who said she worked in management at the Burlington Village Apartments off Charlotte Highway southeast of downtown Asheville, said the group was captured on video holding a small bear. She felt there wasn’t enough support to hold tenants accountable and she had seen wildlife interactions like this in the past, the worst being a group of kids shooting a bear with a BB gun.
Capt. Brandon Jones of the Wildlife Commission told Citizen Times on April 23 that he had heard about some of the petitions, but at this time there were no plans to reopen the case.
Jones said police considered the totality of the circumstances as they investigated the incident and ultimately decided not to press charges.
Previous coverage:Video, Eyewitnesses: Asheville apartment resident pulls black bear cub from tree for selfie
There is no charge for “harassment” of the bear:North Carolina Wildlife Service: Asheville not charged for taking selfie of ‘harassing black bear cub’
Jones said it is absolutely illegal under North Carolina law to capture and keep a bear, but they did not put the bear in a car, put it in a house or put it in an enclosure. seconds before release.
Jones said they also looked at the group’s intentions, which were not to preserve the cubs. He also said this was determined to be an isolated incident.
North Carolina General Statute 113294 (c1) states that “any person who unlawfully takes, possesses, transports, sells, possesses for sale or purchase any bear or bear part commits a Class 1 misdemeanor” punishable by a minimum $2,000 fine.
video:Little bear caught taking selfie from tree
Jones said the closest element of the law the bear selfie might come to is possession, but there’s no clear definition yet.
Jones said there’s really no definition of the possession part, nor is there any distance (which defines what transportation means). That’s within the agency’s discretion, and discretion is a big part of law enforcement in general, whether it’s wildlife conservation or normal law enforcement.
“This tells me that our laws are too vague and need to be clearer,” Adams said, which was one of the goals of her petition.
So essentially, what you’re saying is that it’s okay to interfere with wildlife, disrupt wildlife and put yourself at risk at the same time.
more:‘Shocked’ Blue Ridge Parkway visitor recounts seeing tourist come ‘inches’ away from black bear
Lisa Ward, 53, a former wildlife biologist at the Florida Aquarium, started another online petition in response to the bear cub incident, which has more than 400 signatures. , she previously worked for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a situation where they didn’t press charges, even if people didn’t know anything about the law,” Ward said. No interference with wildlife is allowed there.
“I think the (North Carolina Wildlife Society) has interpreted the law too loosely,” Ward said.
Jones said there have been many interactions between humans and bears during his three years on the commission, ranging from bears on someone’s back porch to bears entering people’s homes. Many of them do not harm animals and are not the direct result of human actions, he said. He knew there were people who might face criminal charges.
While the Wildlife Commission’s game wardens have full enforcement capabilities with statewide jurisdiction, Jones said education is the greatest resource we can leverage to stop this behavior. They do much of this education through the BearWise program.
What to do if you see an orphaned bear cub
If the public suspects they have encountered an orphaned bear cub, please contact the NCWRC. If you think a cub has been orphaned, do not attempt to capture it. Instead, give the mother enough space and time to reconnect with her pups. To avoid harming yourself or your cubs:
- Don’t deal with it.
- Don’t try to catch it.
- Do not remove it.
- Don’t feed it.
- Please note your location and call the North Carolina Wildlife Helpline (866-318-2401). If it’s after hours or on the weekend, call the area wildlife biologist to make a report.
Ryley Ober is a public safety reporter for the Asheville Citizen-Times, a USA TODAY Network affiliate. Email her at rober@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleober
#North #Carolina #wildlife #petitions #black #bear #cub #harassed #Asheville
Image Source : www.citizen-times.com