TC tourist bear
It was with great sadness that I read the recent Record Eagle article about our 500-pound Traverse City black bear.
Having a bear budget, he returned to Traverse City after Labor Day, hoping to better afford a hotel or bar. Since he couldn’t find a place to say something (the state park was a bit too rustic) and couldn’t get reservations at a downtown restaurant, he strolled the Westside neighborhoods and got some birdseed and some scraps of trash – but he has never harmed or threatened anyone.
I understand why city dwellers find the tourist bear a nuisance – it messes up our trash cans, damages our bird feeders, and is gaining popularity on social media. We love our human tourists, but neither are they perfect. While most aren’t hairy and weigh 500 pounds, they can be the same or even more annoying. Tourist bears never drink too much, never drive too slowly, or feed the seagulls on the beach.
Don’t worry TC tourist bear: next summer, when you look down on us from bear heaven, we will greet your bear relatives with open garbage cans and extra bird food.
Matthew Madion
Cross the city
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