Bear in zoo biting lady - do you intervene with firearm?

[Ford4x4]

I was watching I think on NBC tonight a show on some insane animal encounters. Stuff like whales at SeaWorld attacking their trainers and an inseparable elephant dog friendship. Well apparently at a zoo in Alaska, this Australian lady decided to cross two fences to get a good picture of a polar bear, and it reaches through the bars, clamps down on her hip, and starts trying to pull her through the bars. A bunch of people run down there to play tug of war with the bear, smack it with flimsy sticks they pulled off nearby trees, and eventually free her (she lived).

I was thinking about what if I'd been there. Would I have drawn my 1911 and shot it point blank? Honestly, I don't think so, because.
1: my firearm is there for my defense and the defense of my family. I'm not a police officer and it is not my job to save the world.
2: the risk of discharging a firearm with so many people around poses too much risk of hitting someone else. Heck it could even ricochet off the bears skull, or travel right through it and hit someone downrange.
3: if you're dumb enough to cross two fences you kinda had it coming.
4: many people unfortunately probably value the bear more than the human, which wouldn't help my case in court.

Of course intervening could possibly save a human life. But in this case I think the risk of making a bad situation worse is too great. Comments?

 

[Inebriated]

No, because here in NC, anywhere that charges admission is off limits for carry.

Zoos charge admission, so I wouldn't have a gun.

 

[R.W.Dale]

I've seen thus video in question.

Honestly I value the bears life more that the Darwin award recipient lady.

I'm sorry if that sounds callous but "they had it a cumin" isn't a used often enough phrase these days. Some things are just so stupid humanity is done a greater service by being shown the consiquences.

People who do stupid things around polar bears have been providing them with much needed protein for millennium. Who am I to stand in the way of this sacred natural order.

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[El Mariachi]

One word. The Galapagos.....

 

[Inebriated]

I've seen thus video in question.

Honestly I value the bears life more that the Darwin award recipient lady.

I'm sorry if that sounds callous but "they had it a cumin" isn't a used often enough phrase these days. Some things are just so stupid humanity is done a greater service by being shown the consiquences.

posted via tapatalk using android.

Yup. I'd pull for the Polar Bear that, finally, after all these years, got a chunk of the blubber that endlessly circles and gawks at it, rather than the fence-hopper. Plus I don't want PETA spamming my inbox and Facebook over that crap.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Not unless it was my wife or kids....otherwise, I hope the bear enjoys the meal.

 

[JEB]

Honestly I value the bears life more that the Darwin award recipient lady.

I'm sorry if that sounds callous but "they had it a cumin" isn't a used often enough phrase these days. Some things are just so stupid humanity is done a greater service by being shown the consiquences.

Not unless it was my wife or kids....otherwise, I hope the bear enjoys the meal.

full agreement with the above posts.

 

[shiftyer1]

Natural selection

 

[writerinmo]

Well, if they had a "No firearms" posting, I wouldn't even be in there to have to consider it...

 

[Shadow 7D]

Um, you would be shooting a polar bear, as you are not a native, nor are you or your immediate family in imminent harm, yeah, expect an anal probe, AND for the zoo to present you with a bill, and I doubt polar bears are cheap. I don't remember if they are a prohibited area, as posting is of questionable value in Alaska unless it per statute, otherwise it's a trespass and you can be asked to leave.

 

[leadcounsel]

Honestly I value the bears life more that the Darwin award recipient lady.

Bingo.

 

[Marlin60Man]

Didn't they wind up euthanizing that bear anyway? I don't really agree with all the remarks on her stupidity. People always think they're above making mistakes until they are the ones making them. Reverse the situation, say for some reason you or a family member had a lapse in judgement, and you're sitting there watching a polar bear mauling them while a guy with a 1911 is sitting there justifying why not to shoot and acting all callous. I don't think that I could be that apathetic.

 

[Davek1977]

I don't really agree with all the remarks on her stupidity

Thats your opinion, but I wouldn't exactly call it SMART getting within reach of a 1/2 ton predator. I could sympathize with a child being found in such a situaiton, but an adult finding themselves in that position certainly doesn't have an overabundance of intelligence or a lick of common sense. The bear did what bears do...but humans should KNOW better...thats what is SUPPOSED to separate us from animals...the ability to reason. Without that ability, we're just another snack to any predator able to get his jaws upon us

 

[Shadow 7D]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binky_%28polar_bear%29
No, um, Alaskans CHEERED the bear, still kinda famous, stupidity hurts, why blame the bear?

OH and MARLIN
think you're above making mistakes
YOU jump 2 fences, one electrified (yep they use ELECTRIC fences to keep the HUMANS out)
Go up to an enclosure that has LARGE warning signs stating that something to the effect that YOU MAY BE EATEN
then act surprised when the bear gets you??

Stupidity hurts.

 

[Flopsweat]

The Wikipedia article is worth a read.

After these attacks, Binky received international news coverage and became a hero in Anchorage. Binky merchandise was popular, including t-shirts, mugs, and bumper stickers, often adorned with the iconic shoe photo or with the slogan "Send another tourist, this one got away".

Now that sounds like an Alaskan t-shirt. Awesome. Bear in mind, none of Blinky's "snacks" were actually killed, they just got munched on. The shoe story is priceless.

As you may have guessed, I am a big fan of the concept "Play stupid games, win stupid prizes". Depending on the circumstances, I might have cheered on our hypothetical bear*. I watch skate punks eat it and laugh uncontrollably. I make no apologies.


*This needs to be a new South Park character: Hypothetical Bear.

 

[beatledog7]

The more we bow to the stupidity of the individual, the stupider we all become.

 

[Deus Machina]

A bear reaches through the bars and grabs someone? Absolutely.
Something like that? Unless it's actively chewing on her throat, the zookeepers can deal with it.

I don't limit the 'self defense' to just myself when it comes to this sort of thing, but I will limit it to 'defense'. If you're that dumb, and not actually being killed quite yet, I'm not going to deal with everything that comes along with shooting a zoo animal.

Is this callous? Yes, absolutely. But I do believe in Darwinism, and I do believe that, overall, stupid should hurt. Of course no one should get killed by a bear in captivity, but I knew freaking well not to 'pet the kitty' at the lion exhibit on my own well before I could actually read the infuriatingly unnecessary signs. Maybe I just had more common sense in preschool than many adults have now.

The more we bow to the stupidity of the individual, the stupider we all become.

This is it exactly, and the reason we have lawsuits because 'beware of dog' signs mean you know you have a dangerous dog, and from people that have put their hands in a blender because they don't think they shouldn't put their hands around sharp spinning blades.

Unfortunately some people need reminders that they might get mauled by a bear if someone else actually, you know, gets mauled by a bear.

 

[Plan2Live]

Unless an innocent bystander's life is in danger I would never use my personal weapon to stop someone from commiting suicide.

 

[303tom]

NOPE, Stupid lady would just have to be Polar Bear food...........

 

[ThorinNNY]

If all the lady in question wanted was a "good' photo of the bear, there`s a technique that she could have used without getting up that close.
Apparently, she was sadly uniformed about Polar Bears and didn`t know that just setting her lens wide open to F2, focusing on the bear, would have thrown the bars on the cage so far out of focus they wouldn`t be noticeable.
Obtaining knowledge may be costly, but it`s far LESS expensive than ignorance

 

[M2 Carbine]

do you intervene with firearm?

ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, safe shot, probable effect on the Bear, etc, etc, I would shoot to save the lady.

Everyone at some time does stupid things.

Frankly I don't think much of anyone that could help someone, but instead would stand by and watch them be hurt because "the person is stupid and deserves what thay get".

Hopefully someone like me is around if you or a loved one needs help, instead of someone like you being there with their hands in their pockets doing nothing.

 

[R.W.Dale]

ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, safe shot, probable effect on the Bear, etc, etc, I would shoot to save the lady.

Everyone at some time does stupid things.

Frankly I don't think much of anyone that could help someone, but instead would stand by and watch them be hurt because "the person is stupid and deserves what thay get".

Hopefully someone like me is around if you or a loved one needs help, instead of someone like you being there with their hands in their pockets doing nothing.

I resent this remark!! I wont be standing there doing nothing hands in pocket. Ill be recording the shenanigans in hopes of a awesome YouTube viral video.

Seriously though make shure you flash your ccw badge and change into your cape before rushing in to save the day! I'm certain that'll help you not get charged for shooting a bear in a zoo who'se contained properly to the letter of the law and of course folks will always remember how ol M2 swooped in and save the day and help you pay for several tens of thousands of dollars worth of legal fees.




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[bearcreek]

I agree with the majority opinion here so far. A person can have a lapse in judgement and decide to step into the street without checking both ways. Climbing over two fences past warning signs to get up close to a top predator is way past a simple judgement lapse, that's called terminal stupidity. I have a lot of respect for animals and nature and "the circle of life". I'm an avid outdoorsman. I hunt, backpack, camp, farm, and work outdoors. I've handled trapped small animals many times, and been bitten several times. I know that if I pick up a live raccoon by the neck hide he's going to do his best to bite me. If he succeeds I don't blame him. He's doing what he's supposed to do. Same thing with this bear. At the risk of violating political correctness etiquette, sometimes I think we don't allow enough "natural selection" to occur.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Let's see... Gospel of Luke or On the Origin of the Species???

Tough call. Assuming I'm legally armed - I gotta go with help the gal as regardless of her own level of mind blowing, galactic stupidity - she may be someone's; daughter, mother or wife and if possible, I'd be helping them more than this chucklehead.

Additionally, any responsibility for damages should certainly be passed on to her.

 

[CoRoMo]

If I were present when someone was being mauled by an animal, I would act in the manner that I would want others to act if I were being mauled by an animal. I would do for them, what I would want done for me. And if it were me being mauled, I would want somenone to intervene with deadly force against my attacker.

I wouldn't blame the bear. I would shoot it.

I've seen the video and there were a couple guys who took tree branches and proceeded to swat the bear on the back and head. They were just beyond arm's reach of the animal and had they been armed could have employed a very effective shot when the animal was not thrashing about.