The Bear Cub in the Garbage Can.

I grew up in the 1950's on RCAF military bases where my dad served the dual purpose of being a para-rescue operator and in non rescue times worked as a new pilot training officer in summer bush and winter artic survival techniques.

When I was about ten, when dad would take the latest class to the summer bush survival camp in the mountains outside of Hinton Alberta I was fortunate enough to be able to go along. I was expected to participate in the training hikes and carry my own weight in terms of sleeping bag and other such items but that was all part of the fun. These trips were the highlight of my summer holidays and I always looked forward to them. Needless to say there was plenty of wildlife around in the form of deer, black bear, wolves and cougar as well as many lesser animals.

The Survival school base camp had several buildings which served as instructors quarters, class rooms and a mess hall for the camp staff and instructors. Students were quartered in tents they constructed out of the materials they would have had in the event they survived a crash in the bush and ate from their emergency rations and whatever else they could find a catch. Out behind the mess hall there was a garbage pit for inorganic waste and a big row of garbage cans for organic waste. As one can imaging these garbage cans were a bit of a magnet for the local bear population but in most cases the bears could be scared off with pots and pans or if necessary a warning shot from a rifle.

On one of our trips when we arrived we quickly heard about a sow bear with two cub on their first year that was getting bolder and bolder and as a result harder to scare off. It was becoming evident that this bear may require drastic action as she was showing strong signs of having lost all fear of humans and that is a situation that never bodes well for the bear. In one of the many discussions about this bear and what to do about her one of the instructors suggested that he had an idea that he figured should work, but he needed a metal plate, some wire and an extension cord. In due course these supplies were rounded up and the plan was put into action.

The plate was put on the ground in front of the row of garbage cans and the half dozen cans were all wired together . The plate was then attached to one side of the extension cord and the other side of the cord was attached to the first garbage can. Now all that remained was to see if momma and her cubs showed up.

Sure enough, right on queue Momma and the cubs come round the corner and momma proceeded to knock the lids off of several cans. She then starts rooting around in one of the cans and the cubs each grab a can and start doing their best to get into their chosen can. Meanwhile in the cookhouse there are about ten guys watching this while one guy is on the floor waiting for the signal to plug in the extension cord. This has to be timed just right as all three bears need to be in contact with both the metal plate and the cans. After several false starts someone yells NOW! The plug goes in and there is instantly a huge Woof from Momma and the cubs. Momma and one cub run off but the second cub when hit with the electrons had an involuntary muscle contraction that both knocked him out and launched him head first into his chosen garbage can.

Now there is a dilemma. We have an unconscious cub upside down in a garbage can and somewhere in the immediate vicinity a really upset momma bear with only one of her cubs. So someone in the crowd says "What Now?" The initial thought is to wait a few minutes and see if the cub regains consciousness and takes off. After what seemed an eternity it became obvious that the cub was not coming around so again someone says "What Now?"

After a few minutes discussion four guys go get issue, 303 caliber rifles and a half dozen guys go out to the cans. Two of them lift the cub out by his back feet and place him on the ground. Somebody says he's not breathing, somebody else says give him artificial respiration. One of the guys in the ground by the bear says "how do you do that on a bear I'll be damned if I'm doing mouth to mount on a bear". Out of the crowd comes the suggestion to pump his front legs back and forth with the cub lying on his back. This is started and all the while there are four guys with guns fully expecting to see a pissed off momma bear charging around the corner at any moment. So, after a few minutes of pumping the cubs front legs back and forth the cub actually comes around but is initially very bewildered and confused. In short order however he realizes where he is and see's all these humans and takes of like the scared little bear he is bawling at the top of his lungs.

That was the last time that particular bear was ever seen in camp or even in the vicinity for that matter. As for me I had a great story to tell my buddies when school started in the fall and still chuckle at the memory to this day.