Waterton Losing Noted Biologist and Author Bear Killed After Attack
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•afr&y^vv Pilll Printed in Canada serving the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park VOL l NO. 9 Wednesday, July 12,2000 FREE Waterton losing noted biologist and author BY STEVEN KENWORTHY to leave is the quality of people I've had the chance to work with," said Van Tighem. Popular writer and conservation biologist 'There are just so many people here deter Kevin Van Tighem will be leaving Waterton mined to do conservation." Lakes National Park in the next few weeks to Many of the ranchers and native leaders re take over as manager of ecosystem secretariat sponsible for the land surrounding Waterton at Jasper National Park. Lakes National Park are "excellent land man The move comes after seven years at Wa agers" said Van Tighem, which should bode terton and will be a promotion for Van Tighem well for the future of the southwest corner of as his position in Jasper will be on the same Alberta. level as the superintendent position in Water- 'This area should be held up as a beacon of ton. hope in many ways. I hate to leave that be Going to Jasper will be somewhat of a re hind." turn home for Van Tighem and his family Looking back at his tenure in Waterton, since he had worked in Jasper National Park which started as an ecosystem specialist, and earlier in his career. is ending as a conservation biologist, Van While looking forward to his new job, Van Tighem said he feels the prospects for Water- Tighem said he will miss Waterton and the ton's future are very good. friendships and partnerships he has formed "There have been a lot of changes and I'd since he came to the park in 1993. say most are for the better." "The most rewarding thing and the hardest More Van Tighem - Page 2 Bear killed after attack FROM GLACIER NATIONAL PARK and killed the bear shortly thereafter. Glacier National Park rangers had con The black bear involved in the Monday, tinued to search for the black bear that at June 26 attack of a 24-year-old male hiker tacked and injured Jason Sansom of in the Two Medicine Valley of Glacier Na Malmstrom Air Force Base, Great Falls, tional Park was shot and killed by park Montana, on the south shore trail along Two rangers on Saturday, July 1. That evening, Medicine Lake last week. Due to the bear's at approximately 7:30 p.m., the 128-pound, aggressive behaviour towards humans, it male black bear appeared on the porch of was destroyed in accordance with guide the boat concessioner's residence, near Two lines set forth in Glacier's Bear Manage Medicine Lake. The bear reportedly stood ment Plan. Because this black bear had HandS aCrOSS the border... Canadian park interpreter and looked in the cabin windows and at exhibited aggressive behavior towards peo Rocky Pollock and his U.S. counterpart Mary Suomas perform the traditional tempted to enter through both the windows ple, trapping and relocating the bear was handshake at Boundary Bay during the first International Peace Park Hike of the and doors. Rangers were notified and re not an option. season on July 1. For more on the hike see Page 6. sponded to the residence where they shot Steven Kenworthy photo More bear - Page 2 A. * ^j. I ^^nni A jsn WATERTON PINCHER ;:l£:-x|w$ i||^ii?||p_ilL* ^ |i Canada Day CREEK W %$^%<M celebrations Kitefest this I J weekend A : M___:&___ _' 1 . I 1 pi P >.% * ; •Jit m. 1 \ X 'v 4 iw^^^p Page 5 Page 9 CAMPING SUPPLIES ESSO/EXXON . GASBAR OUTDOOR APPAREL tit SERVICE! GROCERIES PACKS & TENTS since 1922 & SNACKS HIKER SHUTTLE T-SHIRTS & HATS HIKING GUIDES \AMAW.A€m JEWELRY FOOTWEAR VILLAGE SQUARE SOUVENIRS BOOKS & MAPS Unique shops • Friendly service GIFTS Complete visitor services OUTDOOR GEAR Convenient free parking APPAREL THE BOUNDARY Wednesday, July 12, 2000 Bear involved in attack found and killed From Page 1 killed, both the trail and camp The park's Bear Management ground were reopened to the pub Guideline states that a black bear lic Saturday evening. will be removed and/or destroyed Sansom suffered puncture if it receives human food or wounds to both arms after the un garbage, displays conditioned provoked attack by the bear. San and/or habituated behaviour to som and his wife had been on a wards people, causes property day hike when the incident oc damage, and/or acts overly famil curred. His wife was not injured. iar with humans. The goal of Sansom received initial first aid Glacier's bear management policy care and was stabilized at the is to ensure a natural and free- scene by park personnel. He then ranging population of both grizzly walked out on his own and was and black bears. then transported to Browning Prior to last week's attack, Hospital where he was treated Sansom took two photographs of and released. ne tra a on tne west s e the bear, which assisted rangers in Black bear encounters result ROCk ^ '^ * S '°" °f Upper Waterton Lake just south of Bertha Bay takes hikers confirming the its identity. Based ing in human injury are uncom through some spectacular-looking exposed rock. on the photos, visible black bear mon in Glacier National Park. Wdllt Steven Kenworthy photo tracks at the scene of the attack, The last incident occurred in and previous sightings, it was 1978, in the Camas Creek confirmed to be the same brown- drainage at Trout Lake, when a colored black bear that had camper was bitten while in his prompted a short-term closure of sleeping bag. The victim sus Van Tighem leaving Waterton the Two Medicine Auto Camp tained puncture wounds to his ground on June 13. At that time, arms and shoulders. Since the From Page 1 since it had shown no fear of hu park's establishment in 1910, One of the first changes Van Tighem witnessed mans, the campground was closed there has never been a human fa when he came to Waterton was in his own assump for a few days while the bear was tality associated with a black bear. tions about the threats to the park from the sur in the proximity. It also had re Park officials remind visitors rounding areas. After familiarizing himself with the sisted attempts by park rangers to that all bears can be dangerous situation, Van Tighem realized that the value of haze it away from the developed and should not be approached un land surrounding the park was inflated because of area. der any circumstances. Hikers are its proximity to Waterton but that didn't mean it Additionally, numerous hikers urged to familiarize themselves was open for exploitation. reported seeing the brown-colored with recommended safety precau A flood of applications to change the zoning on black bear along the south shore tions while they are in bear coun agricultural land just outside the park to allow com trail earlier in the day on June 26 try: carry (and know how to mercial development were dealt with a few years near the area'where Sansom was safely use) bear spray; make loud ago, said Van Tighem. The municipal districts of attacked. Those hikers told noise when hiking; hike only dur Pincher Creek and Cardston along with organiza rangers the bear displayed no fear ing broad daylight; and never hike tions like the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Na of humans when they observed it. alone. ture Conservancy cif Canada and the Southern The south shore trail alpng;! I -', • The black bear, carrying very Alberta Land "TrustSociety all-helped protect land Two Medicine Lake.was,closed .little fat, has been preserved for from development and maintain the ecological in 'while personnel searched for,'and 'testing at an undetermined date. 1 tegrity- of die area. •attempted to trap, the bear, Given The bear will be transported to "The ranching community has pride in what they the Two Medicine Valley's prox the Montana Department of Fish, do and their lifestyle," said Van Tighem. "They did imity to Blackfeet Tribal Lands, Wildlife, and Parks' laboratory in n't want it changed and it was gratifying to see all these things come together." Conservation biologist and writer Kevin Van Tighem. rangers worked closely with Trib Bozeman, Montana, where a rou Steven Kenworthy photo al Fish and Wildlife personnel to tine autopsy (necropsy) will be There is still work to do in terms of protecting locate, trap, and remove the bear. performed. In addition, DNA tests the areas surrounding Waterton but a good start has tain national parks in western Canada while Jasper Due to the bear's aggressive will be conducted to further veri been undertaken, said Van Tighem. is the largest and one of the most popular. behaviour towards humans, in ad fy the bear's identity by compar "We're not out of the woods yet but a lot of Being built around national highway and rail dition to the trail closure last ing DNA from the bear against good things have happened in the last four or five transportation corridors puts Jasper in a different week, the Two Medicine Auto fresh bear scat retrieved two feet years." situation than Waterton, said Van Tighem. Campground was also temporari off the trail where investigating Other positive co-operative ventures Van Tighem "Jasper's issues are within Jasper while a lot of ly limited to hard-side campers rangers discovered Sansom's has seen take place include the effort to extinguish Waterton's are outside the park.