Canada is an animal-loving,…

Canada is an animal-loving, conservation-minded country that treasures, defends and protects animals and our environment - at least, that should be the goal.
I am appalled to hear that the Ontario government wants to bring back the spring bear hunt, a dangerous and irresponsible move being condemned by environmental and animal protection groups.

Why would the ON government want to bring back this cruel hunt where bear cubs are being orphaned after their mothers are shot to death? To appease the powerful hunting lobby!!! Where is our humanity?

It’s unacceptable that the government is supporting the cruel and needless trophy hunting of bears.

Here are the important points that the Ontario Government needs to consider.

• Bear cubs will continue to be orphaned if the hunt becomes permanent. While it’s currently against the law to kill cubs and mother bears accompanied by cubs, mother bears often leave their cubs in trees when searching for food. If a mother is killed, her cubs will likely die slowly of starvation or be eaten by predators.
• Hunting bears doesn’t improve human safety. Stopping human-bear conflict is achieved by removing access to garbage, barbeques, and other attractants.
• Bears have low reproduction rates, meaning the survival of adult females is vital for the species.
• The government has disclosed a need to reduce black bear hunting in Saugeen-Bruce Peninsula due to population concerns, yet it is simultaneously proposing to allow the hunting and trapping of these bears in that region for one week each spring. This is irresponsible.
• Even the economic argument for allowing the hunt is weak. The government has said the economic impact would be neutral or positive, but has provided no evidence to support this claim.

Bears need our protection and our compassion. Please do not allow this barbaric form of trophy hunting. We as a nation are better than that and we need to demonstrate that we have evolved and improved our animal and environmental protection laws to the highest standards possible, while setting a good example for other nations. We need to make progress in this area, not take ten steps backwards and revert to old, outdated ways which do not serve our society. We should take our role as stewards of this country and our planet with the utmost care and consideration especially when it comes to cruelly and needlessly taking the innocent lives of animals.

Thank you for giving this proposal the careful and humane and ethical consideration it requires.