Mike and I took a cruise to Alaska and i really hoped that I would be able to see some bears, so when I saw that there was an excursion to a bear sanctuary, I signed us up.
We were told by the sanctuary that many bear cubs have become orphaned, when their mother dies or gets sick. The state of Alaska has no bear rehabilitation program in place, and unfortunately orphaned cubs are routinely shot by the Department of Fish and Game for lack of an alternative. But at Fortress of the Bear, their mission is to rescue cubs, bring them back to health and provide a long life full of enrichment.
The bear rescue center opened in 2007, and houses 8 bears. More than 20,000 visitors per year come to experience the majesty of these amazing creatures.
They have been able to send bears to the Bronx Zoo, Montana Grizzly Encounter and the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary in Boyd, Texas.
The goal is to work with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game to someday release rehabbed bears back into the wild.
At the sanctuary, there is a raised viewing platform and we were able to get within 25 feet of a Grizzly bear in a naturalized setting. We got to watch the bears and observe their unique personalities.
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