I am absolutely appalled…

I am absolutely appalled that the government of Ontario is considering making the spring bear hunt permanent. It should never have been reinstated on a trial basis anyway. It's now 2020 and time for Ontario to take the lead in appropriate behaviour towards this keystone, apex animal. Bears are among the slowest reproducing animals on the planet and quite capable of managing their own populations. In years of poor berry or hard mast availability, a female bear who has not eaten enough to see herself through hibernation, certainly will not have cubs. Furthermore, female bears don't become sexually mature until 5 - 7 years of age and only have cubs every second year at best. I would expect by now that people could respect bears as sentient creatures, deserving to be left in peace to live their own lives just as humans do. Finally, it is left to a portion of the public to fund the rehabilitation of orphaned bear cubs whose mothers have, effectively been murdered for the pleasure of a few. As a lifelong Ontarian, I would hope to be proud of this province, not ashamed to live here.