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

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So you're saying shoot the woman for her stupidity? Put her out of her misery, so to speak, as the humane thing to do. :D
 
In before the thread-lock!

I would direct my wife and children towards another part of the zoo; probably the exit gate.
 
No one has brought up the fact that the typical self defense pistol is likely to have little effect on a polar bear.

If the bear had somehow escaped then yes if it came at me or anyone near me sure, I'd shoot. But in the instance of the particular attack referred to, no I would not.
 
At the risk of violating political correctness etiquette, sometimes I think we don't allow enough "natural selection" to occur.
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Be sure to remember that if a loved one is hurt or killed doing something stupid. (who of us has not almost been hurt doing something stupid?)


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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Sounds like I touched a nerve.

Actually, over the years, a number of times, I have put my life at risk for complete strangers, whether they were in trouble because of something dumb or not. I don't ever recall considering not helping them because they were in trouble from doing something stupid. In some cases the reverse was true, in that I stuck my neck way out to save someone, when I could have just said "NO, that's just too risky".
I also don't remember ever being thanked for it, or wanting thanks.

But I also have no trouble looking at myself in the mirror shaving in the morning.



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ApacheCoTodd said:
Additionally, any responsibility for damages should certainly be passed on to her.
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You may not have noticed, but, in our society, the fact that a person should be held responsible for something does not mean that they will be. In this case I could easily see the "shooter" being held responsible. A polar bear is not cheap I would imagine and the Darwin award contestant passed up numerous warnings in order to allow the bear to grab her. Obviously, like all situations regarding use of force, proper response is highly variable depending on the specific scenario.
 
M2 Carbine said:
Be sure to remember that if a loved one is hurt or killed doing something stupid. (who of us has not almost been hurt doing something stupid?).
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I will do my best. The fact is is that most people's short term, emotional response to a given situation is not the best thing to base policy or SOP off of. I'm not suggesting that people who have gotten themselves in trouble by being stupid should never be helped. What I'm saying is that, in a situation like this, where the person purposely got themselves close enough for the bear to grab, a bunch of people are clustered around, and where you're very likely to get into serious financial and possibly criminal trouble if shots are fired, pulling your gun is probably not the best course of action. Again, as I said before, the best response to these situations varies wildly depending on the specific details. Most of those details are not available to us through reading a story in the news so our opinions may be rendered completely moot if you throw in some other small detail.
 
If the bear gets out of the cage and a person is in danger at no fault of their own i'd intervene. The described situation does not meet said criteria so maybe she'd get a scaring shot into the air.
 
You may not have noticed, but, in our society, the fact that a person should be held responsible for something does not mean that they will be.
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Yes, sometimes it gets unbelievable.
Remember a few years back where a man risked his life to pull a injured woman off the busy road to keep her from getting run over again? There is no doubt that within seconds another car would have run over her and killed her.

Some months later the "Hero" was being interviewed on TV because the lady he saved was suing him for "causing her further injuries".

The TV reporter asked the man,
Since that woman is suing you, after you risked your life to save her, are you sorry you did it and knowing what you know now would you save her again?
The man didn't hesitate, he said, Yes I'd save her again.

Some people feel that they have to do what they think is right, no matter the risk or cost to themselves.

Is that DUMB? I don't know.



pulling your gun is probably not the best course of action.
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Possibly true. (probably true)

Like I said, "ALL THINGS CONSIDERED" I would do whatever seemed like the best course of action, including using my gun.

What bothers me personally is the attitude of many people that the woman deserves what she gets because she did a dumb (VERY DUMB) thing. Anyone that hasn't done very dumb things just hasn't lived long yet. Chances are, if you are in trouble it is because you have done something dumb.

I guess it's just not popular thinking in today's self centered society, but if I see someone in trouble I'm going to help if I can, and that means with a gun if necessary.
If the system tries to screw me? Well that's just the chance I'll take for doing what I think is right. I'm far too old to change now.:)



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Regarding the bear attack on the foolish woman:

Callous inhumanity is not a virtue.

Nor is stupidity.

Would I help the woman? Sure. Would that help involve a gun? Maybe, but not if pepper spray proved effective.
 
I didn't read all the posts but seriously, its a zoo, the wild animals are locked up behind fences. DON't do stupid stuff like cross fences to get closer to a freaking polar bear. That just happens to be like the only animal that will track and kill humans with the sole purpose of eating them. Its just nature weeding out the idiots.
 
No one has brought up the fact that the typical self defense pistol is likely to have little effect on a polar bear.
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There was a cop in NYC who killed a polar bear with his service .38. A drunk climbed the walls, crossed the moat, entered the polar bear's area and became lunch. A cop, then climbed the walls, crossed the moat, entered the cage and began beating the bear with his night stick, think about that for a moment, after his attempt to beat the bear off failed and it continued to maul the drunk, he pulled his service revolver put it to the bear's head and killed it. I think Gun's and Ammo described the cop as "huge brass ones the size of cannon balls".
 
I would have a hard time not doing something for the woman, regardless of how stupid the woman was. Now granted, she deserved everything she got and maybe deserved to die; but can I just let her when I have the power to decisively intervene? That's something I hope I don't have to decide. Easily comparable to the man upstairs and our own predicaments.
 
I think back like thirty years ago or so in the American Rifleman some gentleman dying of cancer went on safari down at the Bronx zoo with a .458. And then he died.
 
Honestly I value the bears life more that the Darwin award recipient lady.
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They put those two extra fences there for a reason, apparently the lady didn't get it. However, I have witnessed such stupidity at other wild life parks, no one harmed. When they get reprimanded, they act like whats the big deal, they didn't get hurt. It only takes one time.
 
No way to do I draw a firearm and shoot an animal in a zoo, in its cage, no matter what it is doing. Were the lady being mugged, violently on the street, one would have to consider doing so. Likewise, were the bear in the wild...ditto. In a zoo in its own cage...no. Even though it is not a human being, one would find one's self is so much hot water over a thing like that and quite frankly, you would run an enormous risk of hitting the person or a bystander anyway...no way.

Now that situation a few years back where the psycho chimp ripped the lady's arms and face off...that'd be different because the thing was loose on the street harming people. Loose on the street being the key to the difference here.
 
I remember both of the attacks. The lady was lucky and STUPID. She was the one in the wrong when she climbed the two fences. That was clearly posted to keep out.
The second attack the young man (boy) had climbed the fence and Binky was sleeping next to the fence. He stood close to the fence and urinated on the sleeping bears head. In return he got bitten right between the legs. Don't wizz off a bear.

You do know what they call pup tents up here. Sandwich bags
 
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Mother nature has a way of weeding out the weak, I think it applies to stupidity when it comes to the human species.
 
I'd prefer 3, but I'd have fired a shot at close range to startle the bear into releasing the idiot, but shooting the animal at nearly point blank range would be the immediate fall back.

Of course she's a fool for what she did, but how many people that only have contact with wild animals through the boob tube would have done the same thing because they grew up in Nerf World?

I'd hate to have to shoot an animal doing what evolution has designed it to do when someone does something stupid, but protecting our own takes precidence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx_7fhq2-q8
 
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Absolutely. Bears, like all animals, are simply biological machines. They don't matter. Humans, no matter how stupid, are still people. A cut above. There are of course varying levels of people, from saints to tyrants. Little old ladies who give out full sized candy bars on Halloween to sagging pants ignorant gangsters. But all are people, and all people are more valuable than a machine, whether the machine be made out of metal and wires or flesh and bone. I would absolutely destroy any machine to save a human life, any human life.


I believe in God, and the human soul. My post is based on the belief. Humans are different. Better. Sentient. Animals are just part of God's construct.
 
This thread is funny as all get out:D

I feel that the variables play into the response-- if a kid gets grabbed by a critter in a zoo I'm gonna try to help (gun or not)and I'm sure the rest of us would as well. The Darwin comments are funny but realize as a country we are keeping more stupid and worthless folks alive then the bears in zoos can deal with.
 
I guess if you folks were doctors and had to treat a motorcycle accident victim that wasn't wearing his helmet, you wouldn't help him? The guy that gets cancer after smoking cigarettes all his life doesn't deserve treatment?

I find the whole attitude of, "Oh, they were too stupid, they don't deserve any help, sympathy or compassion," to be full of pomposity and arrogance. Someday you people will need help too... Let's just hope someone as callous as yourselves doesn't judge you as too stupid for compassion.
 
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