YOUR COMMUNITY | MEWSPAPER SINCE 1969 “ret ree rae wey sh lhe ‘a ‘News 985-2131 Cl fied 986-6222 Distribu Artist draws © royalty PAGE 33 NEWS photo Tom Burley ATTENDANCE AT this year’s PNE may be down considerably from previous years but for those who did go, like two-year-old Greta, the fair is one of the best places to be. Greta par- ticularly enjoyed the PNE’s Petting Zoo, and is seen here getting an eye- to-eye view of Ernie the Camel. The PNE’s Flashback Party continues until Monday. MARAUDING IN NORTH VAN CAMPGROUND a A BLACK BEAR that ripped campground was tracked and vironment conservation officer Bruce Lemke, senior conserva- tion officer. said the bear had to be shot because it was a threat to human life. He added the ministry is cur- rently “swamped with bear com- plaint calls, particulars trom Nerth and West Vancouver. This vear, he said, there have been between SOO and 900) bear complaint calls, compared to 100 last year in the Lower Mainland. “We don't like fo go shoot them, but sametimes we bive to if the bear is a threat to human life or property.” Lemke said the bear, killed recently at North Vancouver Ree- reational Vehicle Park, ong mile eat of Second Narrows Bridge, a tentata North Vancouver killed by a Ministry of En- Wednesday afternoon. Hy KEM PEMBEREON Neue Reporter was a detinie throat to himian life, “Fo lise trap it meant waiting a couple of days and hoping it would goon the trap. bur we couldn’r take the chanee. This bear was pretty threatening." RV park manager Fd Epp said the bear had been in the area pick- ing berries for the past (40 weeks, and it wasn't undb Tuesday that it came into othe park. amongst campers. “He wasn't @ nuisatee, until he got @ taste of the garbage.’ he said. “We were ali sad to see him wo, buf once he put his paw through the tent we had to report him, We would have looked awfully: stupid if he would hase clawed a child and we hadn't done anything.” he said. Epp said he chased the bear from the campground with a bike one mieht and a truck another time. “bh wasn't scared of him, but ane fellaw was so seared he slept in a washroom, When you seo that happening you know it's going to affeet vour business. "" Epp said he assumed the bear, which he believed wervhed about 300 pounds, was looking for food when it pur is paw through the tent. He said the tent belonged toca Seattle couple and was being used by their three children, between the ages of 10 and 13. He said the children were notin the tent at the time of the incident, which oceur- red Tuesday around oidday. The family has since Ieft the park, and could not be reached for comment. Lemke said the North Shore has been one of the major areas for bear complaint calls, which average about 20 a day. He noted that many of the cally would in- volye the same bear. “North and West Vancouver is ope of the major areas becatise the bears are coming dows trom the mountain. Thes’te mostly an the outskirts — in the upper part ot British Properties, Cypress Park, Datlacton' “EP don't know what's drawing them down. fF guess the hot weather,’ he said. He said a number af bears have had to be shot, but he wasn't aware of the total number. Lemke said the ministry has only one animal control officer for the North Share, based tn Surrey, and by the time he arrives to a call the bear has often deft, “With oso many complaints we're having a prablem responding to them all, especially a year like this. “We're short of manpower there’s no question of that. But we can't pretty well keep enough men throughout the vear just to cover the peak periods,” he said. “We do the best we can.” Lemke said after a bear has been shot the procedure involves ex- amining the bear to determine such facts as its ave, sex or health. But he said its not always possible because of the demand on a aistry Services, “Things are happening so guick- Iv. btry to keep pace with it, but its almost gone out of hand now." he said