Black Bear Mauls 8-Year-Old Boy

Boy Survives; Father Is Injured Defending Son In Attack At Tennessee National Park

(AP)  Officials at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park say a black bear mauled an 8-year-old Florida boy and the boy's father was injured while defending him.

Park rangers later killed a bear matching the description of the one in the attack.

Park spokesman Bob Miller says the incident began around 7:30 p.m. Monday when the bear approached Evan Pala of Boca Raton, Florida, while he was playing in a creek. Miller says the bear attacked the boy, was driven off and came back a second time.

Miller says the father was able to drive the bear off with rocks and sticks.

The boy suffered some puncture wounds that were serious but not believed to be life-threatening. The father, John Pala, suffered several cuts during the attack.

[cbsfan73]

stupidrules3 wrote:
"As a matter of fact, the return of these species you talk about is being facilitated by hunters."

So they are simply righting their own wrong?

P.S. I take NC Wildlife Magazine which also supports this.

[stupidrules3]

cbsfan73,
I agree with the reduction of vistors as it has gotten quite out of hand. Having grown up near the Smokies, I too miss the old days when it was not such a destination. Fortunately we are blessed with many other parks and recreation areas to play in. The Smokies are being ruined by the sheer numbers of cars that pass through.
I''m still trying to decide if I like the fee idea as the best means of reducing traffic.

[stupidrules3]

So you are crediting hunters for the animals making a comeback? Wasn''''t it hunters and over population that made them go away in the first place?

Posted by cbsfan73 at 09:50 AM : Aug 13, 2008

As a matter of fact, the return of these species you talk about is being facilitated by hunters. The fees they pay for licenses and specific hunts are directly paying for the conservation efforts and reintroduction of native species that are repopulating the parks. Most of the people that complain so loudly never contribute their money or physical effort to the conservation of natural refuges. They just rend their clothes and cry that someone else should do it.

[greeneyes222]

I gather most of the folks posting on this story have never been here in the mountains. Here''s a tip - don''t y''all come. This isn''t Disney World.

[cbsfan73]

PinonNut asked:
I''''m just wondering if it were a Pit Bull who had mauled the boy in the city would the response be the same???
You city slickers just don''''t get it!!!

Your mud does not stick to the wall. There are leash laws against allowing dogs to run loose in the city. There are no such laws on bears in a National Park.

[pinonnut]

I''m sorry. My previous comment was directed at what I thought were intelligent people. I see now that this has somehow turned into a political issue.

Bears are creatures of habit and opportunistic feeders - if they get food they learn to go back for more. It''s really very simple. People just have to be careful. I am glad I''m not the parent of the 8-year old, or I would be so devastated by the response of people. Anyone who has ever had kids knows you can''t keep an 8-year old boy on a leash.

I''m just wondering if it were a Pit Bull who had mauled the boy in the city would the response be the same???

You city slickers just don''t get it!!!

[cbsfan73]

Hwy71So confessed:
"Actually, animals are stupid and live on instinct and conditioning."

Which makes you a great hunter.

[cbsfan73]

To: Hwy71So

You are a typical Republican. You think the whole world is yours to exploit.

[cbsfan73]

Hwy71So wrote:
"cbsfan, why don''''t you go pet a grizzly and let me know how it turns out..."

I advocate for them to be given refuges to live in peace.

[hwy71so]

cbsfan, why don''t you go pet a grizzly and let me know how it turns out...

[cbsfan73]

Hwy71So wrote:
"Its easy to tell who''''s corrupted by life within a concrete and glass prison (city)".

Yeah, it''s Republicans.

And I''ll bet because you save that two weeks vacation for a hunting trip that you think you are a real outdoors man. Learning an animal''s weakness and exploiting them does not make you an ecologist. You destroyed and pushed the wolves off the land so you would have a biological excuse to hunt. If you are such a great friend of wildlife, why don''t you push to get rid of beef pastures so they can roam about without human encounters?

Human population control is the real solution to this problem.

[cbsfan73]

Hwy71So wrote:
First off, it''''s "THEIR" not "there" (their park).

What is the point of having the park if it can''t be wild and unspoiled?

So many people, so few refuges...

[cbsfan73]

Hwy71So wrote:
"WE have domain over the animals, not the other way around. The bears, like any other animal, remains in that territory by us allowing them to. Read a little history and understand WHY all native wildlife declined in the states at the turn of the 20th century. Thanks to Teddy Roosevelt and other hunters like him, who UNDERSTAND wildlife management, these same species are now making a come-back."

Let''s see here:
So you are crediting hunters for the animals making a comeback? Wasn''t it hunters and over population that made them go away in the first place?

So it is okay for humans to reduce certain animals to 1/1000 of their original population because we have domain over them?

If God gave man this responsibility I am sure that He is very disappointed with man''s domain management techniques.

When you unbalance nature, nature will unbalance you.

[hwy71so]

"""...those idiots shouldn''''t be in there territory, especially an eight year old.

Posted by cheddarboy82 at 12:00 PM : Aug 12, 2008"""

First off, it''s "THEIR" not "there".

Its easy to tell who''s corrupted by life within a concrete and glass prison (city). WE have domain over the animals, not the other way around. The bears, like any other animal, remains in that territory by us allowing them to. Read a little history and understand WHY all native wildlife declined in the states at the turn of the 20th century. Thanks to Teddy Roosevelt and other hunters like him, who UNDERSTAND wildlife management, these same species are now making a come-back.

Its people who are misled by the animal rights freaks that are being stupidly led into believing all animals are cute and cuddly; novelties to gawk at or pet. These animal rights freaks, like Walt Disney dec., paint the picture that animals are our friends and intelligent. Actually, animals are stupid and live on instinct and conditioning.

Nevermind, you fine folks just go on believing what the TV tells you...

[downtowner97]

#1 threat to America: Bears!

[cbsfan73]

Useful bear information:

http://www.nps.gov/archive/grsm/pphtml/highlights383.html

[cbsfan73]

libsluv2spit wrote:
"well then tell me where are you leading with your post?"

I am not trying to infer anything. I was just putting out information that was not in the original article.

P.S. I know you that you are a strong proponent of the death penalty on humans. So I know you enjoyed hearing that this bear cub got shot.

[cbsfan73]

libsluv2spit admitted what he was:
"being a cold *** wont get you killed being a clueless *** will"

With a personality like yours, I advise you to stay out of the woods. Your NRA card is worthless out there.

Oh, by the way, am way smarter than you. Especially when it comes to the wilderness. Eustace Conway has nothing on me.

[cbsfan73]

My cousin got scratched very badly by a similar sized cub on Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina about 40 years ago. Back then bears were plentiful and roamed up there.

I still remember it clearly. He had a pack of cookies and was feeding two cubs. There were only a few cookies left and my cousin decided that he was going to save those for himself. I told him that he had better throw those cookies on the ground but he refused and started to eat one. One of the bears reared up on his rear legs and swiped him across the chest and the cookies fell from his hand. We both ran back to the car then. The did not require immediate medical attention but there was a Bruce Lee mark on his chest.

To libsluv2spit:
In case you did not figure out the message, it rhymes with kurd.

[libsluv2spit]

libsluv2spit speculated:
"and said cub is more than capable of kicking your arse.. we should had let the cub go..what is the point in killing it..am i getting warm?"

No, you are still a cold ***.

Posted by cbsfan73 at 10:14 PM : Aug 12, 2008
+ report abuse
*******

well then tell me where are you leading with your post?

being a cold *** wont get you killed being a clueless *** will