Uninvited Guests

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santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
Photo lifted from Alaska Travel News

10550812_686073241440339_7047506444588970456_n.jpg
 

mrcharly

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 25, 2011
3,257
44
North Yorkshire, UK
Is that a black bear?

They are almost unbearably cute. Has there been any tradition of people taming them and keeping them as pets?
 

mrcharly

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 25, 2011
3,257
44
North Yorkshire, UK
I don't think black bears are that big - although a little research shows you are right.

Still, people keep lions, wolves as pets. I'm pretty sure an omnivore wouldn't be any harder to rear than those! Bigger animals are often less nervous, IME, so easier to work with.

I grew up around race horses that would frequently 'test' you; one of them had killed a stable hand at the previous stud, so not really nice animals at all. It's all down to the animal's nature, really (and I have no idea about bears). Male chimpanzees seem to be the most impossible to have as pets.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
Is that a black bear?

They are almost unbearably cute. Has there been any tradition of people taming them and keeping them as pets?

....Still, people keep lions, wolves as pets. I'm pretty sure an omnivore wouldn't be any harder to rear than those! Bigger animals are often less nervous, IME, so easier to work with.....

Yes, it's a black bear as near as I can tell (identification isn't as easy as it seems)

I'm not aware of anybody keeping one as a per in real life, although there was at least one fictional tv show about it (Gentle Ben) Bears, even black bears, are incredibly large and would be impossible to contain or feed unless you had plenty of resources. Add to that the fact that they hibernate which would make them a rather boring pet for a third of the year.

Current laws also don't make it easy to keep wild pets.
 

mrcharly

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 25, 2011
3,257
44
North Yorkshire, UK
I remember that TV show! It was broadcast in Australia and I loved it as a kid.

There seemed to be no issue filming a kid interacting with a large black bear on the filmset.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
Yeah I loved it as a kid too. I didn't realize it at the time but they were basically using a cub and very controlled circumstances (well fed and well trained by professionals)

I'm sure keeping one for a pet could certainly be done; but I expect the cost and devotion to do it correctly would be beyond most people's ability. It's certainly not something I know of anyone doing.
 

Dave Budd

Gold Trader
Staff member
Jan 8, 2006
2,896
321
44
Dartmoor (Devon)
www.davebudd.com
talking of uninvited guests. A Siamese cat has just walked in through my front door and for the last 5 minutes has been sitting near me giving me a very shifty look indeed. I know it lives around here somewhere, but normally runs away when I get within 20yds. If I don't post up for a bit, then I have likely been mauled by this sinister moggy! :theyareon
 

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