A Deloraine, Man., farmer was greeted by a gruesome sight recently while checking livestock on a pasture near his house.
During the Father’s Day weekend in June, Larry Bell found a month-old calf with its neck snapped and a strip of hide torn from its back. Larry and his wife Joan also found wounds on two of their miniature horses. The horses survived, but are being treated for what appear to be claw and puncture wounds.
“I guess what happened was the two stallions were protecting the mares and colts,” Joan said. “The younger stallion is in bad shape, but he’s a spunky little scamp.”
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Number one suspect
Due to the nature of the injuries, Manitoba department of natural resources staff suspect a bear. However, the attacks were reported a week after they happened and heavy rains may have washed away clues that could have unraveled the mystery.
Killarney veterinarian Tom Walshe treated the two horses, which are both studs. The yearling horse had a cut and a deep puncture wound on one of its shoulders. The older stallion was slashed across its face. Walshe doubts the two studs injured each other in a fight.
And the dead calf raised doubts that the horses had snagged themselves on wire or a farm implement.
“It left me wondering exactly what did happen,” said Walshe, who has treated livestock in the region for more than 20 years. “I’ve seen animals ripped up before, but I have never seen a bear attack around here.”
A live trap has been set at the pasture where the calf was killed. The trap was still empty as of July 6.
If a bear does wander into the trap, natural resources staff will have to decide whether it’s the same animal that assaulted the Bells’ livestock.
“If we suspect it was the same bear then it would likely be destroyed,” said Larry Ross, district supervisor for natural resources.
The attacks appear to be an isolated incident. Ross has had no other reports of similar incidents this spring. Bears and cougars are not common in the Turtle Mountain area. Despite the injuries inflicted on the Bells’ livestock, Ross sees little cause for alarm.
Bears are usually a threat to people only when protecting their cubs or their food, he said. This is the time of year when bears tend to roam, Ross noted. They enjoy eating berries, cereal grains and insects. When those foods are scarce, the bears develop a stronger appetite for meat.
Playing it safe
The attack on their livestock has made the Bells more cautious in recent weeks.
Five of their grandchildren, aged 3 to 12, often visit the farm, located on the edge of Turtle Mountain. The children have been warned not to wander far from the house.
“I’m keeping them right here in the house yard,” Joan said, “and they’re pretty aware that there’s a bear in the area. Every time I hear the dogs barking I wonder: Oh, God, is it back again?”
