Bear is gaining weight at home in compound

CanWest News Service
Published: Thursday, July 27, 2006

Now that his interest in females has waned, Boo the Bear is doing what every normal male would do after a whirlwind romance gone sour — he is eating, and slowly gaining weight.

The four-year-old bear, who twice escaped from his compound at Kicking Horse Resort near Golden, is recovering after his tastes of freedom.

Boo returned to his enclosure on his own on July 8, looking tired, thin and weak after more than two weeks in the wild. He has since stayed behind an electric fence and showed no desire to break out for a third time.

“He’s not back to full health but he has been gaining weight and he is starting to look a little bit more healthy,” said Michael Dalzell, a resort spokesman.

His future remains unclear, however, his fate still in the hands of B.C. Environmental Minister Barry Penner.

A spokesman for Penner’s office said no decision has yet been made on what to do with Boo. Options include leaving him at the resort or returning him to the wild.
© The Vancouver Sun 2006