The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) and the Wildlife Center of Virginia are pleased to announce that the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens will be providing a permanent home for a Black Bear that cannot be released back into the wild.
This female bear arrived at the Center as a cub in the spring of 2013, after she was likely kept by humans for a period of time. While at the Center, interaction with humans was limited, but the damage had been done – the bear had lost her natural mistrust of people and she cannot be returned to the wild. The Center has been seeking placement at an accredited, educational facility since 2014.
This summer, the bear will be transferred from the Center to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited facility that can provide appropriate long-term housing for the bear. She will go through a minimum 30-day quarantine period before being moved to the newly renovated bear exhibit. “Zoo staff are very excited to bring in this new ambassador,” said Craig Miller, the Zoo’s Curator of Mammals. “Whether in Virginia or Florida, bears across the country face similar threats, and we hope we can play a role in educating and inspiring our guests to do their part to protect these amazing animals.”
“Finding placement for non-releasable wildlife is not easy; there are few places with the real capacity and willingness to accept such animals – especially Black Bears,” said Ed Clark, President of the Wildlife Center of Virginia. “We will not place any animals in what we consider to be substandard facilities or management programs. It’s not a matter of just keeping the bears alive; quality of life is a primary consideration.”
“The most effective way to support our bears in Virginia is to remember that most problems caused by bears are really ‘people problems,’” said Jaime Sajecki, Black Bear Project Leader for VDGIF. “It is up to humans to change their own behaviors to avoid conflicts and be able to coexist peacefully with such amazing animals. The mission of VDGIF and the statewide bear program is to keep bears wild. Putting an animal in captivity for a lifetime robs the animal of a free and wild life and robs the citizens of Virginia of one of their most valued species.”
“Sadly, some people selfishly take animals like bear cubs or fawns into captivity and treat them like pets. That may be fun for the family, but it may be catastrophic for the wild animal,” Clark added. “Unfortunately, the people who really do the damage seldom have to see the consequences of their actions.”
The Wildlife Center of Virginia is an internationally acclaimed teaching and research hospital for wildlife and conservation medicine. Since its founding in 1982, the nonprofit Center has cared for more than 70,000 wild animals, representing 200 species of native birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. In 2013-2014, with the assistance of VDGIF, the Center constructed two new facilities for housing Black Bears. Since April 2013, the Center has admitted a total of 82 Black Bears.
About Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
For over 100 years, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has aimed to inspire the discovery and appreciation of wildlife through innovative experiences in a caring environment. Starting in 1914 with an animal collection of one red deer fawn, the Zoo now has more than 2,000 rare and exotic animals and 1,000 species of plants, boasting the largest botanical garden in Northeast Florida. The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is a nonprofit organization and a portion of every ticket sold goes to the over 45 conservation initiatives Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens supports around the world, and here in NE Florida. JZG is proud to be an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. For more information, visit jacksonvillezoo.org.