Buddy Bear Goes Free

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These twelve bears were free where no hunting is allowed.

The call from Quebec just came through - Buddy Bear is free!

Last summer Buddy Bear was given wide publicity - his story was carried in newspapers and on TV across North America. You may remember - a mother bear and her two cubs were swimming across the Gatineau River, when a man on a jet-ski decided he wanted a bear cub for a pet. He got a rope around the neck of one cub, dragged it behind him through the water - dunked it under the water time and time again to subdue it - and called to a man on shore to be sure to photograph his bravery. It was photographed and when he brought the cub ashore, it was taken from him and he was charged with cruelty. That matter is, I understand, still before the courts - but Buddy spent the winter here at Aspen Valley.

When he came, Buddy was a small, very frightened cub. For a companion in his enclosure, he had Nimkii, an even smaller cub whose mother had been killed over near Georgian Bay. Nimkii had arrived here almost dead from starvation. He had been put on an IV, until he gained enough weight and energy to take a bottle. Neither cub had much reason to like humans, but they certainly liked each other. The only difference between them, other than size, was that Buddy was very famous. All summer and fall we answered queries about Buddy - even from overseas.

Unaware of his fame, when winter came Buddy hibernated, closely cuddled up in the deep straw of their den, with Nimkii. When spring finally came, they both woke - looking as though they needed a good combing - but healthy and growing. They both developed wonderfully shining black coats. They ate well. They played together, wrestling. Boxing and then sleeping in a tumbled heap. Buddy was much bigger than Nimkii - he had never suffered the days of starvation, which had followed the killing of Nimkii’s mother.

Enter: politics. Not authentic biology - pure politics. Both cubs were to be released. But Buddy was from Quebec. Ontario insisted he could not be released here. Quebec did not want Nimkii. I do hope bears in the wild respect that line which runs between the provinces.

The cubs we had from Quebec (which has no bear sanctuary) were all carefully ear tagged - we couldn’t pretend we didn’t know. This spring the plans had to be made - Buddy had to go free. Press came down - TV - photographs. We had our own photographer, too - the entire story had to be carefully accurate, and we have complete confidence in Ted Smith. He photographed not only Buddy, but Buddy and Nimkii - that last morning, unsuspecting, eating together, wrestling in their enclosure, standing together on the top of their den, curious about the activity around them. Until their own gate was opened, and a human came in, with a long pole and a tranquilizing needle on the end.

None of us wanted to commit the deed that was legally impossible to avoid. Finally, stabbed with the needle, Buddy lay down and went to sleep. We waited. Nimkii, whimpering, kept nosing at him, urging him to get up - get up - to get up. But Buddy was asleep. Humans came with a stretcher and lifted Buddy, and carried him out of the enclosure, and took him away - and Nimkii watched and for a while grew very silent.

I stayed with Nimkii. He paced and pawed at the gate. Then he climbed to the roof of the den, and tried to look down the pathway to the crowd of humans around the truck, where Buddy was being lifted into a travelling crate. Nimkii grew very quiet. He sat and watched, and watched . . . . the truck drove away, and Nimkii, silent, jumped down and snuffed every corner, every inch of his enclosure. Very softly, calling to his friend.

This story is not pure sentiment. I have given care to dozens of bears, over many years. I know the depth of the friendship they can have.

This morning Buddy is free.

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