Snowshoe, WV, September 2004-- I was alone in a parking lot and saw a bear across the lot. Wished that he (she?) would come closer for a picture, and then the bear started walking straight towards me! I stood up on a rock, but the bear kept coming, and finally was right next to me. I *almost* reached to pet it, but didn’t …. Finally the bear looked up at me, and just turned and walked away (and then my whole body started shaking lol!). My aunt had died there the year before … somehow, it seemed the bear was 'telling' me something (I had no fear at all … until the bear left!?). Odd.

--Jay Waugh

We get a lot of bear sightings around here and the first thing that people want to do is kill them. If they would stop tearing up the bear's habitat, maybe they would stay away. Stories like this make me feel sorry for them. I don't think they intend to scare or hurt anyone. They just want to find someplace to call home. If anything, they should be afraid of us! I can't believe this Jay person actually considered petting it. He got good pictures, but petting a wild animal is NOT a good idea!

Andrea

:eek: