Bears in the news

[Summer Wine]

I just was wondering if anybody else on here notices odd clumps of events. I do. Probably just another sign of my "loose screw".

But recently there has been an awful "clump" of bear stories. And even in my day to day emails. Not sure if because now they have my attention maybe I'm attracting them. My husband picked out an old movie for us to watch this weekend - "The Wind and the Lion." And one of the side stories was Teddy Roosevelt and how he wanted the symbol of America to be the grizzly bear.

I believe bear stories started showing up with a bear attacking people in the Appalachian Trail. And on to recent -

http://www.kansas.com/mld/thestate/news/14559491.htm?source=rss&channel=thestate_news
The hybrid bear – part polar bear and part grizzly

http://www.blackbearheaven.com/world-record-grizzly-bear.htm
death of the world’s largest grizzly – received this in my email. Horrified me to say the least, I am not fond of hunting for sport!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-05-16-dutch-zoo_x.htm?csp=34
Bears eat monkey in front of horrified visitors


BEAR
--INTROSPECTION--

      Bear comes into our life to remind us when it is time to examine ourselves. Bear checks the hollows in old trees for honey, tearing apart the log to get to the sweetness of truth. Bear eats throughout the warm months, then retreats to the womb of Mother Earth for hibernation to digest the experiences of the year. Symbolically, while in the womb of hibernation, Bear is reattached umbilically to the Great Void where all answers are. Bear is associated with the West in the Medicine Wheel - the West is associated with goals.

      Bear reminds us to find our quiet place from which to examine our goals and find our answers. This quiet place is called by many tribes the Dream Lodge. In the Dream Lodge, illusion dies, eternity reigns, and our ancestors await and guide us.

      If one considers the concept of ancestors in conjunction with the concept that, in the belief in reincarnation, we return with associated groups of souls, we are our ancestors. How much of the dealings with our ancestors while in the Dream Lodge is actually past-life recall, where many of the answers are within our own experiences, and we need the introspection to retrieve these answers? Is this how we remember the goals we set for ourselves before we came into this life? Not all answers are within our past lives, because our souls have not had every possible experience. However, when we travel to the Dream Lodge, we have our past lives to counsel us and help us understand what is coming through from the Great Void as answers for things we have not experienced. Not only may we recall the goals we have set for ourselves, but also the reasons we selected those specific goals to work on during this lifetime.

      Bear tells us to find the strength to look within and solidify the goals we have set for ourselves.

And I believe that Arthur means Bear. And "bear market" - I dunno anybody else have any thoughts

[Human Being]

YES, clumping of events happens and sometimes by design I bet.
Don't doubt yourself or what patterns you notice, Summer Wine!!

Bear is also a symbol for Russia!!
Check this out, there's alot more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear

Bears in popular culture
Bears, usually anthropomorphized, appear frequently as characters in popular culture; see List of fictional bears.

Figure of speech
-In the stock market, a bear market is a period of declining prices. Pessimistic forecasting or negative activity is said to be bearish (due to the stereotypical posture of bears looking downwards), and one who expresses bearish sentiment is a bear. Its opposite is a bull market, and bullish sentiment from bulls.
-In CB slang, "bear" (or "smokey", in reference to Smokey Bear) is a nickname for highway patrol.
-In gay slang, the term "bear" refers to male individuals who possess physical attributes much like a bear, such as a heavy build, abundant body hair, and commonly facial hair.
-To try like a bear means to try your hardest to catch the attention of a certain lady. The harder you try, the better the bear you are.

Symbol or mascot
-The bear, the bruin, or specific types of bears are popular nicknames or mascots, e.g. for sports teams; and a bear cub was mascot of the 1980 Summer Olympics.
-The constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor represent bears.
-The bear is a common national symbol for Russia (and the Soviet Union), as used in the Ronald Reagan political ad "Bear in the woods."
-California State Bear is the bear seen on the California State Flag. The design of the flag by William Todd in 1846 was chosen due to the high number of bears seen in California. It was first flown in 1846 during the Bear Flag Revolt.
-Microsoft Bear is an unofficial mascot hidden in Windows 3.1 and Windows 95.

Religion
-Many cultures regard bears as possessing healing powers. The peoples of China, Japan, and Korea use bears' body parts and secretions (notably their gallbladders and bile) as part of traditional Chinese medicine. This has had a major impact on populations of bears around the world. Thousands of bears are farmed for their bile in China, Vietnam, and Korea. They are kept in appalling conditions and usually have bile drained from their gallbladders using catheters inserted into their abdomen or with hypodermic needles. There is no evidence to suggest that farming bears has reduced pressures on wild bear populations. Indeed the farming of bears in China has led to a huge increase in consumption of bear bile since the 1980s with many people prepared to pay very high prices for the 'superior' bile of a wild bear.

Politics and culture

-Some bears have been famous in their own right, like the bear that U.S. president Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt refused to shoot in Mississippi. That bear became the prototype for the Teddy bear, which is a stuffed animal toy.
-Stephen Colbert frequently attacks bears as "godless killing machines mobilized against humanity" on The Colbert Report. Bears frequently come in at number one on the "Threatdown" as the single greatest threat to the security of the United States.

That last point's worth reiterating. Since Colbert played his role of "Steven BRIDGES"
when the DoubleBush skit was going on a couple weeks ago, his joking about bears
being a national security threat practically BEGS us to pay attention to these animals.

[Ava]

I had noticed bears in the news a lot lately too SW as well as monkeys. Animals being unnaturally aggressive is also coming up often. So are car seats, thanks to Britney Spears, lol.

[amide_phaedrus]

WOW that is true. It really didn't click until just now!

[945]

Yes I noticed that!  And also alligators.  I don't know if alligators make national news or not, but there have been several news stories lately here in FL about gator attacks which until recently were actually pretty rare.

[Summer Wine]

http://planetsave.com/ps_mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7159&Itemid=1

Florida sees third deadly alligator attack in less than a week     
Written by JENNIFER KAY     
Monday, 15 May 2006 
MIAMI (AP) _ Florida had seen just 17 confirmed fatal alligator attacks in the previous 58 years. In less a week, there appears to have been three.
The bodies of two women were found Sunday some 130 miles (210 kilometers) apart. A third woman's body was found on Wednesday.

Annemarie Campbell, 23, of Paris, Tennessee, was attacked while snorkeling in a secluded recreation area near Lake George, said state wildlife spokeswoman Kat Kelley. The lake is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Gainesville.

``The people she was staying with came around and found her inside the gator's mouth,'' said Marion County Fire-Rescue Capt. Joe Amigliore.

By poking the alligator's eyes and trying to open its jaws, the men were able to free Campbell's body, but she was already dead, the Ocala Star-Banner reported.

Her stepfather, who had tried to help her, was treated on the scene for a hand injury.

``You just don't think of your daughter dying from an alligator,'' Campbell's mother, Dawn Marie Yankeelov, told the newspaper.

Authorities estimate the animal was 7 to 9 feet (2.1 to 2.7 meters) long.

In Pinellas County, the body of another woman apparently killed by an alligator was found in a canal 20 miles (30 kilometers) north of St. Petersburg, authorities said.

Judy W. Cooper's body had been in the water for about three days, authorities said.

The 43-year-old Dunedin woman suffered animal bites that were consistent with an alligator, which ``did play some part in the victim's death,'' according to a preliminary autopsy. The cause of death was pending and the medical examiner's final report will not be released for at least four weeks, the sheriff's office said.

``We don't know the condition she was in when this happened,'' state wildlife spokesman Gary Morse said.

It was not immediately known why Cooper was in the area, where wildlife officials said alligators are frequently spotted.

Cooper's family had not heard from her for about three months and she had a history of drug abuse, her sister, Dannette Goodrich, told The Orlando Sentinel.

Gary Goodrich, Cooper's brother-in-law, told the newspaper that officials said her purse was found near the water and drugs may have played a factor.

Authorities were baiting traps in their searches for both alligators Sunday.

On Wednesday, construction workers found the dismembered body of a Florida Atlantic University student in a canal near Fort Lauderdale. A medical examiner concluded that Yovy Suarez Jimenez, 28, was attacked as she was jogging near the canal bank and dragged into the water.

On Saturday, wildlife officers captured an 9-foot, 6-inch (2.85-meter) alligator in Sunrise that they believe fatally attacked her.

Suarez's death was the 18th confirmed fatal alligator attack in Florida since 1948. Nine other previous deaths are unconfirmed, mainly because it was not clear whether the person was already dead when the alligator attacked.

What provoked the attacks in three separate Florida counties was unknown, but state wildlife officials said alligators are generally on the move looking for mates and food this time of year.

``As the weather heats up, the alligators' metabolism increases and they have to eat more,'' Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Willie Puz said Sunday. ``They might be moving more, but that just shouldn't mean increased alligator attacks.''

Florida residents are warned not to swim in heavily vegetated areas, feed wildlife or walk pets near the water, especially between dusk and dawn when alligators are more active, Morse said.

And there was another one in the news yesterday - running into a woman's house attacking her dog. Reading the article above it is evident that this is an anomaly, wonder what it means?

Florida & Texas, Florida & Texas ?

And no bear stories literally yesterday but -
A Russian suicide bombing attack, Dow Jones crashed, and Paul McCartney split?

And the verdict is to be announced this week on the Beslan School Attack terroist.

Intense vibes all around.

[Tranz]

This thread would drive Steven Colbert crazy!!!!

[amide_phaedrus]

Right on Tranz!!! 

[Summer Wine]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060521/sc_nm/britain_protest_dc;_ylt=Al.UWd_Sg2xMwD9fmgECQbAPLBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

UK protesters go naked over Canadian bearskins Sun May 21, 11:31 AM ET
 
LONDON (Reuters) - Around 100 animal rights campaigners stripped naked in central London on Sunday to protest the use of traditional bearskin hats worn by military guards on ceremonial parade.
 
Wearing nothing but bear masks and carrying placards saying "Bears Slaughtered for the Queen's Guards -- Indefensible," the group gathered to call on the Queen and the Ministry of Defense to end use of the foot-high bear pelt hat known as a busby.

"The Ministry of Defense has blood on its hands while it allows bears to be slaughtered for ceremonial caps when beautiful synthetics are available," says PETA's Anita Singh.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense said they were looking for alternatives to the Canadian bearskin used for the hats but that it was proving very difficult.

The ministry told the BBC three years ago that skins for the hats are a by-product of bear culls by the Canadian government.

Soldiers wearing the hats can be seen all year outside the Buckingham Palace, where the changing of the guard is a popular tourist attraction.

Wearing bearskins is thought to have been a tradition of some regiments since 1815 when the monarch granted the right to don the head gear in recognition of the defeat of Napoleon's bearskin-wearing Imperial Guard at the Battle of Waterloo.

[Summer Wine]

Ok folks, this is getting weird!! I'm not even searching for these stories they are just popping up.

This was in today's issue of Fortean Times that I subscribe to -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5003354.stm

Bavaria rethinks its bear welcome 
 
Wild bears once roamed widely across much of Europe

A wild bear roaming the German countryside is "out of control" and should be captured or killed, Bavaria's environment minister has said.

The decision to allow hunters to track the bear was a sudden change of heart by the minister, who said on Sunday that the bear was "welcome in Bavaria".

It is thought to be the first bear to roam wild in Germany since 1835.

Seven sheep carcasses have been found, suggesting the animal had learned to hunt for food near farms and homes.

Now Germans, who were previously advised that they had nothing to fear from the bear, are being warned to stay well clear of the beast.

Bavaria's state Environment Minister, Werner Schnappauf, explained the reason for his swift volte-face.

"This bear has become a problem. He seems to be out of control and we cannot take the risk of people being hurt," Mr Schnappauf said.

'Danger'

Mr Schnappauf said the decision to allow hunting of the bear was taken in conjunction with the environmental campaign group the WWF.

Experts said the bear, thought to have been introduced into the wild in Italy, had entered Germany across the nearby Austrian border, probably in search of a mate.

The bear was first spotted last Thursday in a border area in Austria after destroying a beehive.

Austrian wildlife experts who have been following the bear's movements initially said it was unlikely to approach humans.

But an animal expert at the University of Freiburg, Felix Knauer, told the AFP news agency the discovery of the slaughtered sheep was significant.

"We have underestimated the danger posed by this bear," he said

[Summer Wine]

A visitor looks at a polar bear through an acryl capsule at Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, northern Japan May 22, 2006. The zoo, known as its unique interactive animal viewing facilities, is one of the most popular zoos in Japan, and about 2.07 million people visited in the previous year, the zoo official said. REUTERS/Issei Kato

[Summer Wine]

And woke up with my coffee turned on CNN and this was the first story -

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/sns-ap-bear-attack,1,302531.story?track=rss

Bear Escapes Cage, Attacks Ohio Woman

By Associated Press
Published May 22, 2006, 10:10 PM CDT

ORWELL, Ohio -- A 500-pound bear escaped from a commercial gaming business Monday, entered a neighboring home and attacked a woman, a state wildlife officer said.

Mark Gutman, owner of Grand River Fur Exchange in nearby Hartsgrove Township, 50 miles east of Cleveland, was attempting to enter the bear's cage to clean it about 2 p.m. when the animal escaped, said Reno Reda of the state Department of Natural Resources wildlife division.

The bear walked into a neighbor's garage, which had been opened to let out a dog, Reda said. A 15-year-old girl backed into a doorway to the house after seeing the bear and tried to close the door, but the bear pushed it open.

The bear attacked the girl's mother, Rachel Supplee, 36, in a nearby room, Reda said.

Supplee received injuries to several parts of her body and was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown, where she was stable and in satisfactory condition Monday night, Reda said.

Reda said the bear's owner lured it out of the home and shot and killed it.

The bear was about nine years old and raised in captivity, making it unafraid of people, as a wild bear would have been, Reda said.

About 20 minutes elapsed between the time the bear escaped and was shot. Gutman called authorities, as required, immediately upon the bear's escape, Reda said.

Gutman was licensed for commercial game propagation, which allows him to breed animals and sell the offspring, Reda said.

No charges had been filed and the Ashtabula County Sheriff's Office is reviewing the matter, Reda said. A message seeking comment was left with the sheriff's office Monday night.

Copyright © 2006, The Associated Press

"Gutman" what a creepy name! And what is he doing with these animals, raising them for canned hunts? Or exotic steaks?

This story freaks me out - my daughter just had to fly to Ohio for business and is due home today. And this story, the name of the town, just freaky!

I think Bears want our attention - I have a lot of thoughts on this, but pretty far out there for the average person.

[kephra]

Perhaps the bear message actually has nothing to do with bears per se, but is a way of pointing out Ursa Major.  Ursa Major contains the pole star Polaris.  .... Just thinking out loud here

[Summer Wine]

I'm thinking animal consciousness - a call for help. Tower of Babel, what if it was just not humans who all spoke the same language. Just thinking out loud too.

And the Annukai - that's us in today's animal world.

[945]

I think about this thread every time I hear a bear story now.  I was going to come make a post yesterday. There was a bear in the news for wandering into the city up by Orlando.