B.C. kills park plan to adopt bears from Alberta
The Daily News (Kamloops)
Thu 21 Jun 2007
Page: A3
Section: City & Region
Byline: Cam Fortems
Source: The Daily News

The provincial government vetoed a plan by the B.C. Wildlife Park to adopt two Alberta grizzlies that do not have a permanent home.

Park officials said Wednesday the Ministry of Environment would not OK a permit last year to bring the orphan bears now at the Calgary Zoo to a permanent home in Kamloops. The Alberta facility cannot accommodate the two new bears on a long-term basis along with its current stock of seven.

Parks Canada still has not found a home for Mistaya, who lost his mother in a train collision in 2005.

Ian Syme, Banff National Park's chief warden, told the Calgary Herald on Tuesday "we are continuing to look for a permanent home."

Park staff said Syme was not available Wednesday for an interview.

The Kamloops wildlife park is looking for two bears to replace its 32-year-old grizzly siblings, who are not expected to live more than a couple of more years.

"We would take them," said Rob Purdy, manager of B.C. Wildlife Park.

"They're Alberta bears. We would help the province (of B.C.) out. It's whatever they want us to do. They want this park for orphan B.C. bears."

Barbara Murray, a North Vancouver woman who operates a one-woman bear education organization called Bear Matters, criticized the decision of the Ministry of Environment to turn down bringing Mistaya, along with another two-year old grizzly, Koda, to this province.

"We want them (B.C. Wildlife Park) to try it again," she said. "Pressure seems to be building to get cubs for Kamloops. That's fine. We don't want to take them from our indigenous population."

But environment officials feel differently. Helen Schwantje, a wildlife veterinarian in the Ministry of Environment, confirmed the decision is to bring an orphan bear from this province to the Kamloops facility when it becomes available.

"The idea is B.C. is focused on B.C. bears," she said. "The preference and priority is B.C. bears and it should be that way."

Schwantje said the policy is not absolute. Her understanding is Mistaya is bound for a Saskatchewan zoo.

Zoowatch, a national organization, criticized the B.C. Liberal government Monday for its policy of sending orphan bears to B.C. Wildlife Park deemed by provincial officials not suitable for rehabilitation.

The group believes all newly captive bears should have the chance at reintroduction into the wild.