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| SHUBENACADIE – The manager of a popular wildlife park says patrons are safe when visiting the tourist attraction despite a recent incident.
“We try to make this facility as safe as possible without making it a fortress,” Bert Vissers said during an interview yesterday. Sunday, a black bear at the Shubenacadie Provincial Wildlife Park grabbed a three-year-old Truro girl by the hand and wouldn’t let go. While Vissers was not present when the incident happened, two groups of witnesses have come forward. From what he has been told, it appears the child’s parents lifted her over the barrier fence, which surrounds the enclosure, to feed the large animals despite a sign stating ‘do not feed.’ “It is a wildlife park, the animals are wild, they’re not tame and people have to bear that in mind when they come here,” said Vissers. The child’s mother, Melinda Sullivan, says the park is getting bad information. “My child, Caitlyn, was not over the barrier, her head went through the barrier and she was feeding the bear like all the other children and parents were doing,” she said in a statement yesterday to the Truro Daily News. “Caitlyn’s hand was never inside the cage. She had her hand flat and the bear would lick the treat off her hand.” Sullivan said there were only two other people present when the incident occurred and they did nothing to stop it. She is hoping more precautions are taken. “They know that those animals are wild and you shouldn’t be able to reach over and touch the cage from the barriers,” Sullivan said. “If something like this can happen to my child, it can happen to another.” Vissers said the park has never had an incident like this before and said the barriers are set back at least three feet (approximately a metre) from the enclosure. “We feel confident we know what happened,” Vissers said. |
Truro Daily News
In my opinion the parents should not be upset with the animals or with the park due to the fact that they disobeyed the direct rule on a sign that clearly states DO NOT FEED . These are WILD animals. They are to VIEW. Keep away from the animals! If it were a freeway, would you have your child stand on the edge of the road to touch the Ferrarri passing by? The park is not responsible. When we we start assuming responsibility for our own actions? People almost always want to blame others when the answer to who is at fault is in the mirror.
The only people to blame in this incident are the parents. Who would ever let their child feed a WILD BEAR? I am sorry that the little girl was hurt and hope that her parents make better decisions in the future.
