News on Urbanization and Parks
August 8, 2023 By: Jared Daumont
https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/18/us/black-bear-euthanized-selfies-trnd/index.html
This article describes the unfortunate event in which a young black bear was euthanized due to prolonged exposure to humans. This bear, roughly 2-3 years old, would often sit near a boat launch in an Oregon park and eat food handed to it by people passing by. After an extended period of interaction, police began receiving calls from other concerned visitors about a bear in the area. Unfortunately, since the bear had grown accustomed to humans, it was captured and killed. This relates to Unit 3’s ideas that parks, which are intended to preserve wildlife, are perhaps at times more dangerous to wildlife than they are helpful.
https://globalnews.ca/news/8586905/urban-green-space-canada-statcan-survey/
In this article, urban expansion is shown through the statistical observation of green spaces in cities. The article shows that many towns and cities in Canada have seen a significant reduction in green spaces, as lots are cleared for new projects and housing. This reduction in green spaces has both environmental health implications as well as potential human health implications. This connects to the ideas presented in Unit 3 as part of the article pertains to energy consumption and how green spaces reduce energy consumption by simply existing.
What I find interesting is that in situations like what has happened to this bear, we often talk about the bear being ‘habituated’ whereas what has really happened is that we humans have moved into the bear’s space and then respons badly to the bear going about its life the way it always has. It’s an interesting connection to the development of taking away the rights of indigenous groups to hunt and forage in national parks, which are often located in the original territories of those indigenous groups.
I always feel sorry for wildlife in these situations, I understand local wildlife authorities have to protect the population, but as Robin mentioned on the previous post, we were the one’s who originally moved into their habitats. I’ve witnessed similar situations, especially during my year in Banff. Fortunately, in the cases I’ve seen, they’ve made the call to sedate the animals and relocate them to a safer spot.
The article of the bear being habituated from human interaction is one all to common in the parks of North America. Supposed sanctuaries for nature and wildlife, unless it doesn’t suite humans. This perversion of preserving nature away from the industry and activities of humans, but to then allow entry into these animals habitats by untrained/uneducated peoples, often resulting in the death of that very animal, is a paradox. While relocation is often a method better than euthanasia, the question has to be asked “to where if not a protected parkland?” This further makes the true motivations for parks more evident, being for people, and certain peoples in that effect, to enjoy these areas and not to protect nature for the sake of protecting nature.