Bear Matters BC

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Grin and bear it
Wonderful film tells the story of a gentle man with a noble mission
Kevin Griffin, Vancouver Sun
Published: Tuesday, May 22, 2007

The Edge of Eden: Living With Grizzlies tells the remarkable story of Charlie Russell. A native of Alberta, Russell rescues orphaned grizzly bear cubs from circuses in Russia. Every spring, he takes the cubs to the remote Kamchatka peninsula on the country’s east coast where some 400 grizzly bears live in a sanctuary.

Once in the wilderness, Russell begins teaching the cubs how to survive on their own. Initially wary because of how badly they’ve been treated by humans, the cubs quickly warm to Russell’s maternal treatment. On a set schedule, he feeds them a mixture of sunflower seeds and rolled oats that he’s developed over the course of 10 seasons raising grizzly cubs. He takes them on walks and teaches them how to catch fish. In a wonderful sequence, Russell shows them how to slide down a hillside covered in snow. Russell never treats the cubs as pets, although he scratches their ears and rubs their chests so that they get used to his touch. Russell knows there’s a line he can never cross: he always respects them as the wild and potentially dangerous animals that they are.

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Note from Barb @ Bear Matters BC

History was ‘officially’ made on Weds, May 16, 2007! A North American bear rehabilitator, Leona Green, has successfully raised 4 orphaned grizzly cubs (2 female), taking them from 15-20lbs in July ‘06 to their release weight of well in excess of 100lbs.  The bigger size for their age class will give the cub’s a fighting chance with preditory carnivores. The cub’s diet consisted of high protein from donated venison and salmon, grains, veggies and fruit ( including natural berries previously picked and frozen).  Leona Green has raised and released two female grizzlies in 1996 but they were not officially counted by the authorities at that time.

Grizzly bear rehabilitation is done in other parts of the world like Russia and Romania but North American authorities have been shy to embrace it for ‘liablity’ reasons ( I believe?). Thanks to some progressive and compassionate Conservation Officers in Northern BC Leona Green was able to help give these four cubs plus two black bears a second chance this year. She has now rehabbed over 100 bears successfully over 30years (not one of the bears have shown up and caused problems).  

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By Damian Inwood, The Province Published: Monday, May 07, 2007

A bears-versus-bulldozers battle is brewing in the Callaghan Valley between environmentalists and Olympic organizers. And a senior environment ministry official is warning that even cross-country ski trail construction crew lunches must be kept “completely secure” to avoid risks of grizzly bear attacks. Joe Foy, of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, said today that if Vancouver 2010 organizers start building 25 kilometres of cross-country legacy trails next month, it could lead to a showdown over the impact on grizzly bears seen in the area. Foy said that the Ministry of Environment has recommended further study of the bears before proceeding with the trails . “I could scarcely believe [Vancouver 2010] wouldn’t do that, but if they won’t, it’s worth a fight,” he said. Foy was commenting after the Olympic watchdog group released a report giving Olympic organizers a D-minus grade in meeting its social and environmental promises. Foy, who is WCWC national campaign director, said a new study would cost about $250,000. “We are shocked and surprised that, so far, that request is being ignored,” he added. “Five hundred logging truck-loads of old growth forest is to be removed from this sensitive grizzly bear habitat.”

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Ministry officials agree to stick with plan for release into wild
Nicholas Read, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, May 03, 2007
The provincial government says it has backed off from a controversial plan to place two grizzly bears rehabilitated by a Dawson Creek woman in a Kamloops zoo.

However, the woman who rehabilitated the bears is worried it may not keep its word.

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