Brother and Sister Cub Lose Their Lives at Shumate Hollow

Debbie: Are there any other bears from Shumate Hollow who would like to speak out?

Sister Bear Cub: Yes, I would. My brother and I were born in Shumate Hollow. We are black bear cubs. We had been playing inside our bear den, really close to the entrance. Mama Bear was sleeping. We were having fun climbing up on her belly. She was breathing so deeply that we would rise into the air and then down again with each breath she took. We finally got tired of playing. We nestled down onto her stomach and were easing off to sleep. That's when some dirt came raining down upon us. I don't exactly understand how it happened. But suddenly, we were outside the den standing on a pile of dirt. Mama Bear was nowhere to be seen. There was no one to tell us that Mama Bear had gotten so much dirt pouring down on her that it buried her. As it was coming down, she gave us a shove toward safety. I guess she must have pushed us out of the den as the dirt was raining down on her. So she was dead, and we were alone. We looked around to see if there was a tree we could climb or a bush we could hide behind. But there was only dirt. Then we both looked up. Brother, you tell what happened next.

Brother Bear Cub: Okay, Sister. We looked up and saw this monster coming toward us. It was making a really loud sound. We didn't know until later that this monster was the one who had killed our mother. I wanted to protect you. I charged that monster to keep it from getting you. But it just kept coming. I was just about to give up, when all of a sudden it stopped moving and making noise. I thought, "I must have scared it with my charge. I'm a macho, macho bear." Then a man got out of that bulldozer. He carefully walked toward us. Before I knew it, he had picked me up. He carried me to some bushes kind of off in the distance. Then he was just coming back for you, when another man started yelling. He yelled at the bulldozer man and said, "If you move one more bear, I will fire you. You are here to move dirt - not bears."

The bulldozer man hung his head. I could tell he felt bad. Slowly, he walked back toward that bulldozer. He got inside. Slowly, he started the engine. Sister, I tried to get your attention. I wanted you to come and join me in these bushes. But you looked awful confused. You just sat there, looking sad and alone and scared. I bleated harder, trying to get your attention. That bulldozer was so loud, I don't think you could hear me. That bulldozer started moving. It headed straight toward you. You turned and ran. But you didn't run fast enough. That bulldozer's big shovel tried to scoop you up. But instead of being taken to somewhere safe, it knocked you over the drop-off. You slid down a slide of dirt and rocks and debris. After the bulldozer passed, I ran out of my shelter. I carefully made my way over to the place where I saw you disappear. I looked over the edge. I saw you lying at the bottom of that ravine. You didn't move. You looked odd. I could tell that you were never going to move again. I sat down and began to cry. I had lost my sister. I had lost my mother. I looked around helplessly. What was I going to do? Where was I going to go? All I could think to do was to move back toward those bushes. The problem was, the only food I had ever had so far was Mama Bear's milk. I hid in those bushes, crying and sleeping, crying and sleeping. After several days, I fell asleep one night and never woke up. That bulldozer was truly a monster. He had killed us all.

My Sister and mother and I died for no good reason that we could understand. Who will speak for me? Who will speak for my mother? Who will speak for my sister? Who will speak for me? Who will speak for all the bears everywhere who can't speak for themselves? Will it be you? What about you? Or you? Please let it be you. Please speak for me. Please speak for all bears everywhere. Please.

Do you see a picture of one of my friends running for his life at Shumate Hollow? Ed Wiley gave Debbie permission to use any of the footage from his YouTube show called "Bears of Shumate Hollow". He said, "Thank you for bringing attention to what our state is allowing to happen to our wildlife in WV." Thanks, Ed, for all the hard work you do to speak for us. Signed, Brother Cub

Resources:

Ed Wiley's YouTube show called "The Bears of Shumate Hollow - http://youtube.com/watch?v=prrUXAgvol0

Ed Wiley's Blog on creating a positive change - http://auroralightsblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/black-bears-bulldozed-in-west-virginia.html

Coal River Mountain, WV: Coal River Wind Project - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39Ce7I6nXIw

Gauley Mountain, WV: the town of Ansted - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW9dni4r9y8

Toxic West Virginia: Mountaintop Removal- Episode 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziuFW-7h1LM

Mountain Top Removal- Kayford Mountain, West Virginia - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhmmXlpg2H0

Song of Buffalo Creek Disaster. Coal dam break leads to flood - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntDd_P_ed1Y

Modern Marvels: The Buffalo Creek Disaster - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMcKyLcQWvQ

A Survivor's Narrative - Buffalo Creek Flood Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87xKIIALOII

A Survivor's Narrative - Buffalo Creek Flood Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn9Fd3TieCs

A Survivor's Narrative - Buffalo Creek Flood Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgdFcLvQfe4

A Survivor's Narrative - Buffalo Creek Flood Part 4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kzWoYJ1PRk