Note: We’ve been notified that this “attraction” has closed.
After forking over five dollars each, we were told about the different types of bears in the “park,” black, Asian, cinnamon and even grizzlies, then were pointed in the direction of some stairs.
At the top there were plates of apples and bread for feeding the bears, one dollar each please. We grabbed one and walked over to look down into the bear enclosures.
This was hardly a park, bunker would be a better term.
While it was interesting, and likely the only chance we’ll ever get to feed a full grown grizzly, there was an overall pitiful air to the place.
In their defense, the park has rescued orphaned and injured wild bears, and the animals seem well cared for, but seeing these massive creatures confined to concrete cells and reduced to begging tourists for a morsel of food didn’t feel too good.
And it certainly didn’t conjure up any visions of Germany’s famous Schwartzwald.
The Black Forest Bear Park is located in the beautiful and surprisingly Germanic town of Helen, Georgia. For more on Helen: https://www.gypsynester.com/helen.htm
David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com
YOUR TURN: Would these bears be better off in the wild or in this park with all of their needs met? What do you think?
Lovely just what I was searching for.
This facility has officially closed! Just thought you’d want to know. The bears are now in CO. Here’s a link to the story – and there’s a video there as well from PETA about the rescue.
http://www.ecorazzi.com/2014/01/21/watch-17-bears-rescued-from-concrete-pits-now-in-sanctuary/
Thanks for the link. Looks like the bears are much better off now.
They need natural habitat and room to be able to move around in. Thia reminds one of the dancing bears in Europe who had a horrendous existtence. These look so beaten down. I felt that way about the horses too. At the beginning of the day it didn’t seem so bad, but when we saw the same horses at the end of the day they looked so exhausted. I hope something will be done to make things better for both. They deserve better.
The link posted above tells a great story of moving the bears away.
These bears’ needs are ABSOLUTELY NOT met. Not by far. This is so obvious. A concrete pit with little shelter, unless you count a few feet of awning overhead, is no life for these animals. They are prisoners. They are being neglected. Being kept alive is not enough for them. The small log and the tiny pool, of which they swim and drink from, is a far cry in comparison to their natural habitat. This place does no more than exploit these animals for profit in a tourist town. These animals need to be released to a sanctuary where they can live a much better life. Shame on Helen,GA for allowing this business to open.
Glad to say they have been moved to a sanctuary in Colorado.
I think it’s horrible and should be illegal.
Happily, they have been moved.
That is really sad. The park may have rescued some of the animals – but the conditions they are keeping them in are not ideal to say the least, so their intent is questionable. If they really cared about the bears there would more effort to give them proper areas to live in if they cannot be rehabiliated to go back into the wild.
We did feed grizzlys once, but the park they were in was huge with plenty of open space, underground caves and trees etc – so they cannot use the tourism aspect to justify it!
The link posted above tells a great story of moving the bears to Colorado.
OMG This is disgusting, what a dismal and sorry excuse for a “park” for animals, even domesticated ones. Those poor bears. Just another fine example of humans exploiting animals for profit…theirs that is, certainly not the animals. The jerks that buy into it so they can show their children the cool wild animals are to blame too. DO NOT SUPPORT THIS INSENSITIVE TREATMENTS OF ANIMALS!!!
Luckily they have all been moved to Colorado.
That’s a tough call. It would be nicer if they didn’t have to be on concrete I imagine.