Sorry, no photos for this one but it would have been nice. I've had encounters with bears before, but last Sunday's sighting was the closest. Quite surprisingly, this encounter with a bear didn't occur in an isolated path in the woods but in the parking lot of an antiques mall in Andover, New Jersey. Well, yeah, that part of the state is bear country and the local campgrounds warn people to secure their trash. Trash is almost always the only reason why a bear will venture out of the woods. Anyway, I was walking my dog along the perimeter of the parking lot when I looked to my right and saw the black bear walking towards us. In spite of its huge size, it didn't make any sounds and I could have walked right into the bear if I didn't look around. I reckon it didn't find much in the trash bin, and it was on its way to the next one. This bear's back, when on all fours, measured just about the top of a car's window. Well, as soon as I saw him ( I will presume he was a male ), we locked eyes and I started to back up with my dog in tow. Approximately seventy-five feet separated us. My " moonwalk " startled him, and he jumped into the bushes and ran into the woods. For his size, he was very quick. My dog never sensed his presence. That's my bear story.
Because I belong to an group of animal welfare advocates in the Philippines, I can read the numerous discussions between group members and people who, seems to me, just signed up to make an urgent plea for help. There were two this week who begged for assistance concerning two dogs who were tied up under rain and sun with no food nor water. One was described to be on the verge of a heat stroke. The images that filled my mind disturbed me immensely, but I am also encouraged at the same time. There is a growing number of animal welfare advocates in the Philippines and ordinary citizens are beginning to reject animal cruelty, willing to take personal action against it. Just from this website, I can see from the visitor data that many are seeking information on how to report animal cruelty in the Philippines. You can find my previous post on the subject HERE . Keep in mind that your complaint has legal standing via the Philippine Animal Welfare Act which is also known as the RA 8485 .
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