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OLD FORGE,\u00a0N.Y. —\u00a0Tom Murphy, famous Yellowstone wildlife photographer, is giving a talk at View in Old Forge to help raise money for a new bear sanctuary.<\/p>\n
Efforts are underway to address the ongoing conflict between bears and humans in the Adirondacks.<\/p>\n
Bears are being drawn to food left in garbage or given to them by people, according to professional wildlife photographer Tom Murphy.<\/p>\n
Murphy said, \u201cIt\u2019s not helping animals ever in wildlife to feed them. A fed bear is a dead bear.\u201d<\/p>\n
Murphy has observed how other communities have managed bear interactions and will share those experiences in a presentation at View.<\/p>\n
He is working with the not-for-profit group Keep Our Wildlife Wild, which was created after several bears were euthanized in Old Forge.<\/p>\n
Kurt Gardner, co-founder of Keep Our Wildlife Wild, said, \u201cPeople doing the wrong behavior or crowding them, the mother is separated from the cubs, the mother charges people, becomes dangerous. Mother gets killed. No place for the cubs. The cubs get killed, too, in the process, so it\u2019s been a heartbreaking situation that we\u2019ve seen over and over again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Don Andrews, another co-founder,\u00a0brought the issue to the Old Forge Town board, leading to increased fines for feeding wild animals.<\/p>\n
The fines are now $1,000 for the first offense, $2,000 for the second and $3,000 for the third.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s going to hurt somebody\u2019s pocketbook, you know, so that\u2019s been advertised more than I think it was in the past. We\u2019ve got more flyers out, you know\u2026please don\u2019t feed the animals,\u201d Andrews said.<\/p>\n
Funds raised from Murphy\u2019s presentation will support a new bear sanctuary in Madison County.<\/p>\n
Keep Our Wildlife Wild has already collected $200,000 for the sanctuary.<\/p>\n
Gardner said, \u201cThat just scratched the surface of what has to be done. It allows us to get the fencing and all the minimum stuff. We have yearly operating costs that we have to raise now.\u201d<\/p>\n
The group plans to open the sanctuary this fall and is continuing public education efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, by feeding a bear or any wildlife, a deer or a squirrel, you\u2019re habituating them to associate you with food, and when you do that, they think, well, you\u2019re just a vending machine basically,\u201d Murphy said.<\/p>\n
Click here For more information about Tom Murphy’s presentation at View or Keep our Wildlife Wild<\/a>.<\/p>\n For more information about Tom Murphy and his work, click here<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n