Man Fined For Trying To Fight A Grizzly Bear In National Park
- Thomas Nelson
- September 14, 2019
- News
- 0 Comments
A Saskatchewan man has been fined $4,000 for attempting to fight a grizzly bear while visiting Banff National Park.
A shirtless Devin Mitsuing was caught on camera exiting his truck and approaching a young grizzly bear, shouting at it, throwing objects at it, and assuming an aggressive “boxing stance.” The video showed him charge at the bear. The bear’s reaction to the man’s aggression was clearly fear, which makes the situation that much worse.
The attempted fight was caught on camera by two photographers who had been taking photos of the bear. Mitsuing was later found and charged with disturbing wildlife in a national park.
Fighting a grizzly bear is, to say the very least, a dangerous prospect. When standing on their back feet, a full grown grizzly bear can stand 8 feet tall. Grizzlies have been known to weigh up to 1,400 pounds as well. Even a small grizzly bear could render some serious injuries.
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After four years, the trial concluded on September 13th with Canmore Provincial Courthouse Judge George Gaschler finding Mitsuing guilty and rendering a $4,000 fine.
“It is abundantly clear this is a disturbance of a grizzly bear and I find [Mr. Mitsuing] guilty,” said Judge Gaschler.
The two photographers who filmed the encounter testified that Mitsuing yelled at and threw rocks at the bear before charging at it.
Mitsuing must pay the fine by October 16th or will face 33 days in jail. Hopefully he won’t attempt to fight a grizzly bear again any time soon, for his sake and theirs.
