Baraza

Louise L, on 27 Mar 2008

Well said Paula. It outrageous!

sheryl, washington dc, on 27 Mar 2008

“At large”? The bear’s mother is “responsible” for his behavior? Damn those bears for acting like bears! Can’t they be more like human animals?

Germany doesn’t deserve wildlife. I hope every animal living there migrates to another country. I haven’t read that much ignorance and sheer stupidity in a newspaper story since the last time GW gave a speech. Disgusting.

s.

Wim, on 27 Mar 2008

“Who the heck writes this stuff?”
Presumably a professional (and accountable), journalist quoting and reporting the objective facts of the matter.
The killing of a single animal does not undermine the right of European Union tax-payers to self-fund, conserve and retain their own natural eco-systems within member states. Should Americans be ashamed of funding their excellent National Parks system because a farmer shoots a reintroduced wolf?
How they spend their money is their affair. Gorillas aren’t being slaughtered because Europeans wish to use their own money to conserve their own ecosystems.
What on earth does the shooting of a bear have to do with illegal immigration?
As Wildlife Direct is “primarily funded by the European Union” this post really does not become you.
Who the heck writes your stuff?

Theresa Siskind St Petersburg FL, on 27 Mar 2008

Wim, our love for wildlife and conservation, knows no borders. That is pretty much why we are all here, including you. With the economy in the toilet, you HAVE to question why this money, earmarked for conservation purposes, was squandered in such a wasteful and cruel fashion. Every cent counts. Wildlife ssactuaries are struggling. You read the different blogs at WLD, you know the challenges they face…because funding is so hard to get. My friend, it will only get worse…that is why we are shaking our heads and pounding our fists. Not to mention the insane treatment of this beautiful bear!

F. J. Pechir, on 27 Mar 2008

Well, as a german conservationist, I think that I have something to say about this. Germany, along with the U.S. is the main founder for conservation programes in Africa. Through time, through many decades, Germany had founded with many millions of dollars a lot of conservation and educational activities in many african countries, including the preservation of mountain gorillas in Congo and Rwanda. Germany had erased many hundreds of thousands of dollars from economic compromises that some african countries have with Germany in exchange for federal wildlife preservation in this same countries. Germany and the U.K. have the highest federal economical budgets in Europe for the protection of wildlife, and Germany not only is one of the leading countries in wildlife conservation in Europe, but also in the world, traditionally and actually founding many conservation projects in Africa, Asia, Europe and Central and South America. Many of this projects are founded directly by the german government, many others by private german organizations working in the whole world. I had followed the story of Bruno since he arrived in Germany, and I was very mad, and still I am, when I knew about his death. But the killing of Bruno was not by orders of the federal conservation authorities, but by the local ones. This was and unspected and local decision, performed by insane and short-sighted people. They even din´t reported the death of Bruno to the federal wildlife authorities until several days latter. The death of this bear unleashed the outrage of ALL german conservation groups and many of the german people in general. It was certainly, an obscure and very unfortunate episode in the wildlife achivements of my country, and I´m very sad for that. But please, do not consider the comments of an unwise taxidermist and a museum´s director without etic and with mental insanity, like the feeling and thinking of the german people and government. I don´t think that Germany doesn´t deserve wildlife. German people are working very hard each day to preserve nature, not only in Germany and Europe, but in the whole world, specially where it is needed most. Also, I´m sad about the problem that some ranch-keepers have with wolves in my country. They think that is not a good idea to allow the wolves to naturally recolonizate some areas, just like is happening here in the U.S. (Wyoming, Idaho, Montana and Alaska), with the difference that in the U.S. the wolves have been reintroduced by man. But the german government is working now to set aside lands where this wolves, that are coming from neighbouring countries, can be protected, and an economical restitution program is already working to compensate for any livestock loss. Germany had has some geat mistakes in the past in the management of wildlife, but any of them have been more serious or of a such proportions like those of other countries, including the U.S. People can´t judge the extraordinary efforts and results that Germany has achieved through time in the conservation of wildlife in the world just by a coward, insane and primitive act performed by a few stupid people that by any means represent the whole of a country. The loss of Bruno was tragic, sad and unacceptable, just like the monstrous slaughters of bison and passanger pigeons that lead to the extinction of this last one in the U.S. or the recently killing of a wild wolf in Missouri, the very first one that has been registered in the area for more than 100 years. There are very bad people doing very bad things in all the world, but the conservation efforts of a country can´t be diminished. Germany is one of the leading countries in the whole world in conservation, helping many countries in the preservation of their endangered wildlife. As a german, I feel guilty for the very sad killing of Bruno, he does´t deserve that kind of death, I´m very sad and mad about it. But the death of Bruno had changed some things in the predator control program in Germany, and I can tell you that, apart from a possible illegal killing situation, any other brown bear in the territory will be adecuately managed, in accordance to recent multi-national predators project, including Italy.

Paula, on 27 Mar 2008

Thanks Pechir …and on that note, some mad insane and cruel people in Congo are also killing mountain gorillas. I take your point, I wouldn’t do it and hate them for it - they do not represent most Congolese people

Theresa Siskind St Petersburg FL, on 28 Mar 2008

Yes Wim, good idea!

Theresa Siskind St Petersburg FL, on 28 Mar 2008

Now I feel better (been a rough couple of days for all of us).