>couldn't manage to get close enough to tranquilize it
The tranquilizing gun has a range of 30m
The distance from which they shot him was 150m

GirlTravel, did you send the email to Minister Schnappauf? If not, now it's too late.

You know, I felt all along that those stupid Bavarians were exaggerating Bruno's "killings"-those rumours that he had killed dozens of sheep-that sounded very suspicious to me, because brown bears don't eat that way-they are usually semi-vegetarians-turning over beehives to look for honey, yes.

It's disgusting-and Germans collectively should be deeply ashamed at their country's officially nutty decision to take out a two year old bear who coming out of his hibernation, was naturally looking for something to eat!

The Italians, unlike Germans, don't go for officially sanctioned killing in any form.

We though the efforts to catch the bear live always seemed half-hearted (at best) and basically CYA to show they'd made the attempt. The German government's real goal all along seemed to be to kill the bear.

BTilke I agree with you 100%. I feel they had plans all along to kill Bruno. I guess this is one country I won't be going to anytime soon. Adding insult to injury stuffing poor Bruno. He can't even be given respect in death. Such hypocracy.

Poor Bruno's story made the front section of the Washington Post today, in an article entitled "Fed Up Germany Kills Its Only Bear"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...0.html?sub=new

And I too, feel less inclined to take myself back to Germany after this-if the Bavarians can act this overreactive and provincial, I don't want to tacitly endorse their position by giving them my tourist dollars!

Thanks for posting that link. I'm more annoyed than ever about the unnecessary killing of the bear. The Germans are talking out of both sides of their mouths--we hear the bear wandered into small alpine villages, yet hunters couldn't get close enough to shoot him with a tranquilizing gun, that he was too dangerous to be around humans, yet all he did was snarl when some (idiot) hikers tried to follow him and got too close (try that with a grizzly and you'll how mild a mere snarl is--and I'd snarl too if I were tired and hungry and some strangers came up to bug me).
From the article: "On Saturday, the bear stood up on his hind legs and snarled at three overly curious hikers who saw him in the woods and tried to follow him, but got too close."
That is NOT the description of an uncontrollably vicious wild animal.

The biggest piece of hypocrisy is in this quote:
German officials said they weren't opposed to bears in principle, only misbehaving ones. "If a normal bear finds its way into Bavaria, it is cordially welcome," Bernhard said.

Did anybody of you "annoyed fellows" actually protest in the first place and send a letter/email to Mr. Schnappaufs office??? If not, now it's too late.

Poor Bruno. He should not have been killed; it was a senseless act. Having said that, I think some people are a bit over the top in going on about the bloodthirsty Germans/Austrians. Most Germans/Austrians had no say in this matter. Only a very few people did. Direct all anger to the right people. I don't see why this is a reason to boycott Germany. It is just as idiotic as people foaming at the mouth about Americans, Iraq, and Gitmo. Most of us had no say in that, either.

RIP Bruno.

What is idiotic, Poohgirl, using economic boycotts to protest nutty Government actions? People around the world have condemned the German Govt. for this decision (and yes, it was taken at the ministerial level, so it is an official decision).

No one says YOU have to agree-but to brand "idiotic" others who want to boycott countries that perpetuate incomprehensible, inhumane decisions on behalf of the country is simply not very informed on your part.

Boycotts have proved very effective as a form of social protest through the decades, both in this country and around the world. In this situation, there are people who will avoid Germany as a result of these actions-and I find that's a good thing-simply because it sends a negative message (however small) to officials in the country that engages in bad social behavior.

I have also read that German embassies around the world are getting a barrage of complaints about Bruno's killing.

Between Bruno and the Der Spiegel magazine article (a supposed light-hearted piece) that has caused such controversy in Italy this week (calling Italian men "parasitic forms of life" greasy" "cheats" and mamma's boys" among other things-the magazine has apologized) causes one once again to wonder about the Germans and what makes them tick.

They just don't ever seem to "get" the big picture.

>condemned the German Govt.
What may be hard to understand for you, GirlTravel, is that the german government is NOT involved in that matter, nor has been. You can boycot any government you like for things thery're not responsible of... Be informed that in a Federal Republic it's the Bavarian! authorities, who have made that descision....

No, Logos, it's not hard for me to understand at all- the regional decision was taken in conjunction with the Environmental Ministry's blessing.

I hope you directed your "anger" to the Bavarian Environmental Ministey office. That would be the appropriate place!, nowhere else. btw. only the pope gives blessings. ;-). The descision is ultimately Bavarian!


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Wow. I've dined on sheep before, I once killed a rabbit (well, my dog did). And I've even been known to snarl at hikers (or airplane seat mates) who get too close and try to enage me in conversation.

But I've never broken open a bee hive, so hopefully I won't be put down.

I would not change a word of what I said. Boycotting is certainly anyone's right but I think it's often not very effective. Frau and Herr Schmidt's konditerei in a little German town and other workers and business owners like them end up paying the price. I don't see Denmark's economy collapsing over idiotic boycotts of all things Danish. I used "idiotic" again on purpose. Certainly there is a more intelligent way to get the point across.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

If you think all Bavarians are "stupid", what is your opinion of Americans who have killed 2 bears in New Jersey this year as part of the states zero tolerance policy on bears in densely populated areas. The latest killing occcured in Irvington in May. It apparently took 7 shotgun blasts to finish off the poor animal! Do you also propose that we boycott the US!

That's exactly right, Poohgirl, the little businesses end up paying the price-and that's exactly the point, which makes it anything but "idiotic."

Many people here are comparing apples and pears. Unlike in Northern America, the habitat for wild animals is very limited due to intense population in all valleys of the Alpes. There is very much less space than in Canada or in the US. Everyone over here was firstly pleased that a bear has finally made it's way to bavaria, which is a fact that has been awaited for several years due to the increasing bear population in Austria. Now, this bear in particualar, poor Bruno, I really pity his fate, came from northern Italy and was raised by a mother who was already known as 'half-wild', a problem that has to be known to americans too, regarding, say, mountain-lions in seattle. Over here, the space is much much more limited. That bear did not, as some other poster said, feed himself with a semi-vegetarian diet, but had learned that it was much easier to feast himself in the human settlings. Moreover, he did not only kill to eat, but did kill without eating its prey. I really do hope there will be a bear population in bavaria again, but still, I fully back the decision to shoot Bruno, sad as it is.