Second Set of Bear Pits Closed: New Life for 17 Bears
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
January 2014

Each of the two transports to move the bears from Georgia to Colorado was a carefully planned event. After a 22-hour drive in comfortable, climate-controlled trailers, the bears arrived at the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado, and the transport team opened the trailer doors and let the bears slowly take in their new surroundings before moving them into their new 60-acre habitat.

bear pit closed

Can you imagine waking up in the morning in a small concrete pit after sleeping on hard concrete, only to see that you're surrounded and trapped by concrete walls? As you look around, all you see besides concrete is a patch of sky far above you and a tourist peering down at you. This was the daily existence for 17 bears held at the Black Forest Bear Park in Helen, Ga. But thanks to a collaborative effort on the part of PETA, PETA patron and The Simpsons co-creator Sam Simon, the Wild Animal Sanctuary, and the Atlanta Humane Society, the bears now enjoy a full life in Colorado.

Each of the two transports to move the bears from Georgia to Colorado was a carefully planned event. After a 22-hour drive in comfortable, climate-controlled trailers, the bears arrived at the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado, and the transport team opened the trailer doors and let the bears slowly take in their new surroundings before moving them into their new 60-acre habitat. Two of the female bears, O.B. and Ursula, are pregnant, so they quickly moved into their private, comfortable dens and began nesting. Another bear, Dakota, couldn't wait to experience his new home and immediately stepped out of the cage, put his nose to the ground, and started smelling and exploring the environment before beginning to graze. It didn't take long before Dakota was running joyously, unbelieving, around his vast new home!

While the 17 bears rescued from Helen, Ga., and their cubs have a bright future, the other bears still imprisoned in tawdry hellholes around the country need you to submit comments in support of the petition asking the USDA to help captive bears - Tell the USDA to Improve Conditions for Captive Bears

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