June 28, 2008

Honourable Minister Barry Penner
Ministry of Environment

E-mail: barry.penner.mla@leg.bc.ca
Web site: www.barrypenner.com
Office:
Room 112
Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC
V8V 1X4

Phone: 250 387-1187

Fax: 250 387-1356
Constituency:
105, 8615 Young Road
Chilliwack, BC
V2P 4P3

Phone: 604 702-5200
Fax: 604 702-5205

Dear Honourable Minister Penner,

Re: 2nd Escape by Captive Orphaned Grizzly, Boo, from Kicking Horse Resort Facility

As a bear conservationist, I ask that your Ministry take over the responsibility for Boo at this time and revoke Kicking Horse’s license to hold animals in captivity.

With this action you would be showing leadership and authority that would temper this current situation that is confusing and emotional to the public. It is obvious that the facility is not experienced or equipped to care for a maturing grizzly. Previously they lost Boo’s brother in a den death, April 2004, that may have been a result of the den being locked all winter which is unheard of and inhumane? Kicking Horse’s sister property, Grouse Mountain also locked their grizzly dens until in March 2004 they experienced an escape by the two imprisoned bears. Now everyone is saying neutering is the fix to this current problem? Please consult bear rehabilitation experts and wildlife biologists to learn more about bear biology, psychology and sociology. Bears are highly intelligent and evolved mammals, especially the grizzly, with thousands of years of instinct directing their feelings, thoughts and actions. Captivity is a slow, painful death sentence for these animals. Minister Penner, in my humble opinion, a bullet would be kinder.

My second request is that your Ministry captures and relocates Boo into the depths of the Northern BC wilderness, with or without a radio collar. This would be the best strategy for the public perception aspect and the best for the bear. If your Ministry kills Boo I believe there will be a public outcry here and internationally that will severely damage the reputation of B.C., your Ministry, Kicking Horse Ski Resort and the town of Golden. Giving Boo a real chance at being wild will be seen as the fair thing to do even if he may only live a day or live 20yrs it will be on his terms. If you allow him to be neutered and put in a fortified cage and put on display, who would pay money to see him, except those that would pity him and possibly taunt him for the next 25 to 30yrs? Boo would be a sad joke that B.C. would come to be ashamed of for many reasons, starting with the illegal killing of his mother and then the death of this brother.

Minister Penner, please do the right thing for the bear and take control over this situation before it makes more ridiculous headlines across the globe. This is not the kind of publicity B.C. residents want or deserve.

Also Minister, please never allow this to happen again; case in point, the young grizzly cub now sitting at the Kamloops zoo. This cub should go into rehabilitation as soon as possible and your Ministry can work his release details with Alberta over the winter.

Please show the public that you truly do care about wildlife conservation over wildlife commercial enterprise and experiments.

Sincerely,

Barbara Murray
Bear Matters BC
www.bearmatters.com