Many would run away when they saw her, but they decided to make her a sandwich instead. And she behaved very politely at the table.
When one goes to the countryside for a family meal, we don’t expect to meet an animal that’s perceived as dangerous. It’d be normal to be afraid of the creature, especially when we’re talking about a bear with big claws and three times our size.
This happened to 29-year-old Kaitlyn Nesbit, who decided to go on a picnic with her family. This is something that’s normal for them, except this time this big animal showed up.
The good thing was that she didn’t come to eat everything and make a mess. Instead, she sat down with the family and quietly waited for a sandwich. Patiently, she waited for one of the family members to cut the bread and stuff it. She looked like just another human being.
She responded to the signals given to her by those at the table. If they asked her to sit down, she sat, and if they asked her to wait, she waited.
However, this isn’t really the right thing to do. The group’s actions were criticized on social media because wild bears shouldn’t be fed for their own safety. This is so they don’t associate humans with food and become a problem for visitors.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is asking people to scare off black bears if they approach them to ask for food. They even have a notice that says:
“NEVER FEED It! Scare it away. Make loud noises, bang pans, or yell. Seeing bears can be very enjoyable. However, having a bear in camp can lead to problems that will persist long after you have gone home. If a problem becomes serious, your safety and that the bear’s safety may become jeopardized.”
Clearly, they weren’t thinking about that. Perhaps they thought that having her so close, reacting violently would be counterproductive. If I was around a dangerous animal, I would probably do the same thing while trying to run away from danger.
Hopefully this won’t be a problem in the long run. Last year, they sacrificed a black bear for being sociable, and that’s not fair at all.
However, it’s understandable that we teach them to keep their distance from us. Sometimes, they can become aggressive and present a risk in national parks. The day will come when we can all live in peace, without anyone being considered an invader.
