Bear Roving is now an important aspect of Ranger life. As a paid ranger, Bob was schedled on a few. Although he was exhausted on arriving home somewhere between 10.30pm & midnight, he was bubbling with stories.
As a volunteer, I was not rostered to do these late shifts even though we both had a training session around the process taking up the best part of a day. It sounded like an exciting experience not to be missed, so Andy obligued and gave me the opportunity.
Saturday September 4th we were both roster to work until 10pm. We donned hefty radios, flashlights and set off in a NPS truck. We followed Lauren's lead (an experienced ranger) as we cruised into rest area's and camp grounds checking for any evidence of visiting bears, garbage left out or unattended food. In spite of a huge awareness raising campaign... focus of the Junior Ranger Program (education program for kids and their families), notification about food storage, signage to save the bears and keep wild life wild, many people continue to leave the specially designed bear lockers unlocked, open and food sitting on top. Those bears have a sense of smell 15 times that of a human and 10 that of a dog. Once they get habituated by the taste of human food it is very difficult to dissuade them from seeking it. My figures are probably inaccurate, but there are something like 400 bears in the park (1,169sq miles/ 3,028sq Km) & about 40 bears who have had to be tagged as they regulary visit people populated areas and lose their fear of humans in the pursuit of food.
Bob had been on duty some of the preceding nights with some exciting activity. I was feeling a little pumped, then spotted a lone coyote, cool.... but as we wandered (roved) from campsite to campsite asking people to obligue by the rules, there appeared to be little activity, until there was a great clanging of pots and yelling by campers... I was left standing as Lauren and Bob took off running.... I continued at a steady walk attempting to traverse a patch of bush following the flickering lights, until I gave up and continued to skirt the parimeter of the camp ground. I met up with a worker from the 'Wildlife' division and as we chatted this little bear appeared within feet of us. Quietly walking along having turned back on his course. We walked for about 10 minutes or so, gathering a trail of interested campers, camera in hand behind us. Eventually the rest of the team caught up with us realising they had been duped. Another "wildlife" guy came in from the side and shot the poor little bear with a tranquilizer gun.
I will leave it, with photo's and let Bob finish the rest of the story.
