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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

100 years ago in Spokane: Manito Park Zoo overpopulated with bears

The Manito Park zoo had too many bears and Spokane park leaders were looking to find places that might want them, The Spokesman-Review reported on March 10, 1916. (Jonathan Brunt / The Spokesman-Review)

From our archives,

100 years ago

The city of Spokane had an unusual problem. It owned too many bears.

The Manito Park Zoo was apparently oversupplied, and the park department contacted other cities and zoos to see if they wanted to buy some bears. There were no takers.

“No one seems to want them,” reported the park board secretary.

In other words, there was a bear market for bears.

The mayor suggested selling some bears to local butchers and turning them into bear steaks. This suggestion was not well received.

Another park board member suggested turning the bears loose in the mountains.

“If you did, they would surely come back, they are so tame and well-fed,” said the board secretary.

The search for buyers would continue.

From the police beat: The Walla Walla police chief reported that all of his patrolmen have discarded their billy clubs and nightsticks.

Why?

Since prohibition, there “have been so few fights that police do not need them.”

Prisoners were now “so meek that officers can handle them without rapping them over the head.”

The officers were, however, allowed “to retain their pocket slungshots” (a cord with a heavy weight on the end).