An Upright-Walking Bear in New Jersey

choi

Lisa W Foderaro, Does an Upright-Walking Bear Need a Hand? A Debate in New Jersey. New York Times, Aug 19, 2016 (video).
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/1 ... ear-new-jersey.html

Quote:

(a) "OAK RIDGE, NJ — * * * a bipedal bear nicknamed Pedals, who has his own Facebook fan page. It [being bipedal] has, of course, made him a global sensation.  With two maimed front legs, Pedals, an American black bear who displays remarkably good posture, manages to get around on his hind legs.

"But the wandering bear has also inspired a fierce debate, between those who would put him in a wildlife sanctuary and those who would leave him be [from the phrase 'let it be' -- the NYTimes report also uses 'leave him alone'].

(b) "For the most part, bears and humans coexist without problems [in New Jersey]. But two years ago, a 22-year-old Rutgers student was killed by a 300-pound black bear as he hiked with friends in nearby West Milford. This summer, residents have reported a number of run-ins, including a bear that swam laps in a backyard pool in Mendham and a bear that charged at a Vernon woman outside her house.

(c) "It is unclear how the bear was injured. A former state wildlife biologist speculated in 2014, when the bear was first spotted, that it was hit by a car. But the bear may also have a congenital defect; in various videos, the right front leg appears truncated, while the left paw dangles.

" 'Other than the videos, we haven't been able to get a close look at him,' said Larry Hajna, a spokesman for the [New Jersey] state Department of Environmental Protection, adding that biologists did not see a need to perform an examination of the bear.

My comment:
(a) You need not read the rest of the report, except viewing the video clip. Or go to search YouTube.com with (black bear Pedals).
(b) "A hand" in the title is a pun: the bear at issue can not use his forelimbs, while some humans offer a hand to help him.
(c) Oak Ridge, New Jersey
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_Ridge,_New_Jersey
(d) American black bear
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_black_bear
(Ursus americanus; native to North America; view a map for distribution; Sows usually produce their first litter at the age of 3–5 years)

* compare Asian black bear
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_black_bear
(Ursus thibetanus; view a map for distribution; have a light brown muzzle [and] a distinct white patch on the chest)