Bears as Predators ~

[brotherbear]

California's Day of the Grizzly by William B. Secrest.

"A Grizzly Bear Hunter in Congress," Defiance Democrat, Defiance, Ohio, February 21, 1878:

Duhaut-Cilly's account of a bull-bear fight that took place in Monterey's public square at the time of his previous-cited visit, is a concise classic of the cruel contests as they had evolved:

This show took place at the conclusion of mass and the spectators were many. When the two combatants were in the centre of the court, the bull, not paying, at first, any attention to the bear; began to run upon those surrounding him; but soon feeling himself held back by the leg, he turned quickly toward his formidable enemy, and with the first blow from his horns, he threw him down. Unluckily the bear had had a paw broken in his first fight with the soldiers, and could not make use of his prodigious strength; but he bit the bull in the neck and made him utter loud bellowings. This attack having increased the bull's rage, he took the field anew and fell like lightening upon the wild beast which, after a few minutes, was horribly gored, and lay dead on the spot; so that the victory remained entirely with the bull; but the combat would have been doubtful. at least, had the bear been less maltreated beforehand. Reply