pathetic bear story

[Emily]

from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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Bear trapped in car a first for conservation officer

By Bob Frye
TRIBUNE-REVIEW OUTDOORS EDITOR
Monday, March 17, 2008

Buzz up!



Chip Brunst has been the Pennsylvania Game Commission's wildlife conservation officer in northern Butler County for 16 years, but he experienced a first lately.
He was called to try and rescue a black bear that had gotten itself trapped inside a mid-1960s era Ford Fairlane.

The owner of the property where the car sits saw the bear crawl into the car -- a rusting hunk of metal that looks as if it hasn't been driven in decades -- and saw the door shut behind it. When he realized the bear was still stuck there the next morning, he called the Game Commission, which sent Brunst out.

"It had been raiding bird feeders, which was an easy source of food for it, I guess, but how it figured to get into that car to get out of the weather, I don't know," Brunst said.

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Brunst's intention was to save the bear. He tranquilized it while it was still in the car, then pulled it out.
When he did, though, he realized the bear had a severe case of mange.

"It was unfortunate, but over 50 percent of its muscle mass was gone already," Brunst said. "It should have been a 300-pound bear, based on the size of its feet and head, but it only weighed about 100, 125 pounds. This bear was in bad shape."

The Game Commission typically treats mangy bears until they're healthy enough to be released back into the wild. This animal had to be euthanized, however.

It had obviously been sick for quite a while, Brunst said. Having emerged from hibernation early because of its low fat reserves, it would likely not have survived much longer even if it hadn't gotten trapped in the car overnight, he said.