Information from the Grouse Resorts Website: Barbara Murray comments in blue
Four Orphaned Grizzly Bears
The Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife has provided a home and a second chance at life for four orphaned grizzly bear cubs. Grinder and Coola arrived in September 2001 and were joined in August 2002 by Cari and Boo.
In 2001 Wayne McCrory, renowned BC wildlife biologist, and others supported veterinarian and businessman Ken Macquisten and Grouse because they thought that Grinder and Coola would be rehabilitated and released back into the wild. Everyone was happy about that outcome. I went up there with the North Shore Black Bear Network members and they allowed us to just peek at the little guys because as proper in proper rehab protocol they should not let the public see them and talk around them. The tiny cubs were in a shed and it looked like they would be rehabbed- but what did the North Shore Black Bear Network know-we were fooled along with the others. Once I got to know Angelika Langen of Northern Lights Wildlife Society from Smithers and Leona Green of Hillsprings Wildlife Shelter in Dawson Creek and Gail Martin of Critter Care in Langley they have brought my attention too all the red flags around Ken Macquisten’s refuges. The have 15, 25 and 20 years respectively of rehabbing experience with large mammals, especially the Northern rehabbers. They worked many years to qualify for their rehab licenses. Even though Angelika and her husband Peter were qualified zoo keepers in Germany it took them 4 years to get their licensing. It was rumored strongly when the four cubs were rescued by officials that the Northern rehabbers would be the obvious home for the cubs before being released. Even some conservation officers rumored this information. It did not happen. The facilities were not even advised or consulted with before Grouse got all four to keep for the rest of their lives which could be atleast 30 years. Unfortunately Cari died at 4 years old(?) in the den.
Cari and Boo were relocated to Golden, BC to anchor the second phase of the grizzly bear rehabilitation project spearheaded by the Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife. The one-year-old bears were transferred to the Kicking Horse Mountain Grizzly Bear Refuge where they were to preside over a new 22-acre habitat, the world's largest protected enclosed grizzly bear refuge.
What rehabilitation project? It was general knowledge after about the first year that none of the 4 grizzlies would ever be released and the public, tourists and educators were loving the opportunity to be able to see these wonderful animals grow up at a close range. As far as the public now knows, and the government now insists, all these bears would have been shot by authorities if Grouse had not opened up it’s arms to help them out! This information should be challenged. Cari and Boo’s mother was shot by a hunter and the cubs were very very young. They were perfect candidates for rehab and at least they deserved to be looked at by someone who has done it before. I feel the decision to farm the animals out to a private corporation was not one made with the proper motivation and well being of the animals.
In the press releases around Cari and Boos transfer to Kicking Horse stated this was the second phase in Grouse’s grizzly project, bringing researchers one step closer to developing a protocol for the rehabilitation and possible re-release of future orphaned grizzly cubs. Again they are calling Ken and his staff and volunteers researchers and developing new protocol. Did they think to ask Leona about rehabbing grizzlies in Dawson Creek? How relatively easy it is and successful.
Following the transfer of Cari & Boo to Golden, BC, Grinder and Coola reclaimed the entire 5-acre grizzly bear habitat at Grouse Mountain. The move effectively doubled their previous terrain and provided numerous avenues for stimulation and additional discovery.
I have been told by former employee that refuge is only 2.5 acres large but looks big. It is separated in half by a gate and electric fence running down the middle so they say it is 2.5 on each side.
The Newest Inhabitants
The arrival of a pack of adult male grey wolves marks a new phase for the Refuge for Endangered Wildlife. The introduction of the wolves represents an emerging innovation in wildlife management called "interspecific cohabitation". This technique involves the sharing of habitat space by two or more species and has been proven to significantly enhance the lives of all inhabitants. Grinder, Coola and the wolves are the first wildlife to enjoy this lifestyle enhancement at Grouse Mountain.
Ken tried to get the Van Humane Society to support him mixing wolves and black bears when he ran the Greater Van Zoo and they said no-it would be too stressful on the animals. He did it anyway. This time he is trying it with grizzlies and semi-tamed wolves – didn’t work. So much for his four zoos in Germany that he refers to that have proven it works. His references from proper scientific studies leaves a lot to be desired. One German zoo have now been contacted and have said that they never received a call from Ken Macquisten and he must have got his information off the website. They did lose a wolf early in their attempts to mix species but learnt a tremendous amount from the experience and changed their protocol considerably so that a tragedy will never happen again. The zoo is sending their statement to Angelika Langen in German and she will translate it word for word and hand the information over to government authorities when the time is right.
Take Your School to The Wildlife Refuge
Children can learn firsthand about endangered wildlife with our fun, interactive education programs designed for school groups.
Are the children learning about wildlife in the best way? If this is not the way the animals live in the wild it must be explicit in any presentation and information imparted. Does Grouse explain that bears are not hibernators and often leave the den during winter months to roam around and sometimes even move dens? Grizzlies are very wary of people that is why they do not coexist with people well and we are losing the species at an alarming rate etc….This is education.
Volunteering
The Wildlife Refuge research team is exploring ways to conserve and protect species native to BC. If you'd like to be involved, please contact us at 604.998.4317 or by email at refuge@grousemountain.com.
Minimum labour costs to running the two enclosures for this multi-million dollar company.
For more information about the Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife, you can call us at (604) 980-9311.
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