Ladies and gentlemen. Please, do not be alarmed, but I have some rather startling news. There is a six hundred fifty pound grizzly bear unleashed in Puyallup. This is no trick, not a person in a charming costume singing songs, but a real live animal holding court at this week’s Washington Sportsmen Show [ots].

For most of us, especially those familiar with the Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man, one bear would be terrifying enough. But wait . . . there’s more. Several black bears will also be on display to stir the outdoor passions of Washington’s hunters and fishermen:

Brought in by Casey Anderson and Bob Steele, both men will be on hand for questions and answers on bear’s [sic] and how we can better understand them. A one of a kind exhibit you won’t want to miss. Learn about our wildlife neighbors and their place in the wild. [ots]

Does no one else see a problem with this? Aside for the recipe for disaster that is bringing a pack of carnivores into a hunting convention, isn’t there something a little bit off about bringing semi-captive bears into a convention as a way of teaching the sportsmen community about their “place in the wild”?

Perhaps I’m overreacting, and these feelings of overwhelming fear are merely a residual effect of childhood nightmares inspired by tobacco commercials featuring a very frightening Kodiak bear. Still, I think that the wild animal fearing among us should be safe as long as we stay up here through the weekend.