For one unfortunate family, a trip to a Richmond pier led to a vicious and unexpected attack. No, we’re not referring to the hangry sea lion that plucked a young girl with a bread-coloured dress from the dock – that was easily predictable and, while frightening, not especially vicious. No, the more savage attack happened online.
After the accompanying video went viral the family was vilified for recklessness, disparaged for their lack of intelligence, and lectured about Charles Darwin by Internet trolls who have likely never read The Origin of Species.
We have no interest in defending the actions of the family, but for all of us who used the incident to climb on our high horse, it’s time to dismount.
A few minutes of feeding a sea lion can be chalked up to impulsiveness and ignorance. However, a great many of us who live at the crossroads of city and country risk feeding wild animals in dozens of seemingly unremarkable ways every day. A video of charred hamburger left on a barbecue grill will never go viral, nor would footage of a homeowner dropping reeking compost on the curb or failing to pick the fruit from their backyard trees.
But it’s precisely that type of inaction and obliviousness that leads to bears being killed.
The problem has gotten so bad in Revelstoke, the mountain resort town’s mayor and council are considering allowing city workers to go into backyards and clean up the mess homeowners won’t. We hope similar legislation won’t be necessary on the North Shore. However, we feel obliged to remind everyone the North Shore’s bears are finally awake.
We wish we could say the same for certain residents.
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