L3ggy
Special Operations FOX-HOUND
Bear's Story
The local SWAT team had been called to destroy Bear. Bear had several strikes against him as an escape artist, or better know in the community as a dog at large. Several complaints had been filed against Bear and his current owner. Unfortunately for Bear, the two people who had loved and raised him from the time he was 3 weeks old had to move from a rather remote area in Colorado to one of the larger suburbs of Denver. Bear could not go - the home would be much too confining, so he was placed with someone he had known since he was a puppy. This woman did the best she could to keep Bear confined; still, he continued to escape with a companion ******. Together, they would wander the neighborhood. People in the neighborhood would call the police, which is how the SWAT team had come to arrive on the scene.
In a last ditch effort to save Bear’s life, his original owner was called. If she could get there in time, the police would allow her to tranquilize him and place him at a sanctuary. Juanita arrived just as SWAT team members were tracking Bear in an effort to shoot him. These people were only doing their job, and did not really want to **** this ****** - they allowed Juanita to tranquilize him. It took several attempts and, in the end, there was a fear that Bear had been over-tranquilized. Bear was loaded into the car of another woman who had been instrumental in saving Bear’s life, and was brought to Wolf.
Bear started his life at Wolf in the isolation run, as do all new arrivals to the facility. When approached, he would go to the other side of the enclosure. He was gentle enough, but he would not allow anyone to approach him or touch him.
One of the biggest concerns about Bear was a large growth on the knee of his left leg. Wolf’s veterinarians were called to examine the large wolf. In order to accomplish this, Bear would have to be tranquilized. An expert in ****** immobilization was called in, and, with one quick puff of air on a blowgun, Bear was darted and tranquilized. For the purpose of this narration, the darting process has been extremely simplified, and it will suffice to say that it is not the way you see it on Wild Kingdom. Darting and tranquilizing an ****** is not an exact science.
Upon examination by the veterinarians, it was suspected that the growth on Bear’s leg was a very large, cancerous tumor. The surgery began, and all in attendance were fraught with concern and tension. As the surgery progressed, everyone was shocked and amazed to discover that the growth was actually a fluid sack, filled with dead white corpuscles, and a slug from a 9mm bullet. Although it was devastating to know that Bear had been shot, it was also a relief to know that he did not have cancer.
Bear was placed in a full sized enclosure with Cheyenne and Spirit. Eventually, Cherokee joined the other three *******. Bear’s physical injury had healed beautifully, and he bonded very well with the other ******* in his enclosure. Bear became very dedicated to Cherokee, who was seven months old at the time he joined the group. We still, to this day, do not understand why, but Bear suddenly decided that he no longer wanted Cheyenne or Spirit in his enclosure. Cheyenne and Spirit were moved to an enclosure of their own, and Bear and Cherokee became inseparable.
As if there had not been enough trauma in Bear’s life, in the spring of 2000, there was a forest fire close enough to the rescue that all of the ******* had to be evacuated (see “Evacuate!” in the summer 2000 newsletter). The Great Spirit was with us that day, and all of the ******* were evacuated safely. The true trauma for Bear started 24 hours after the ******* were returned to the facility, when Cherokee ****** away from complications related to stress. Bear started to grieve for the loss of Cherokee, and everyone at the rescue became concerned for Bear’s life.
Bear had been with Cherokee when he died and therefore knew his companion would not be returning. After several weeks of allowing Bear to have his personal time and space, it was decided to try placing Kiki and Matoskah in with the sad white wolf. Both of these ******* were still considered pups, as far as wolves are concerned, and we know Bear loves puppies.
The transfer of Kiki and Matoskah was planned and executed in one day. Everyone involved held their collective breath when the two pups were released in Bear’s enclosure. True to the nature of wolves, Bear accepted Kiki and Matoskah as his own. At this writing, we are happy to say that Bear, Kiki and Matoskah are living happily together at Wolf.
He was born in '92 and he died in '02
The local SWAT team had been called to destroy Bear. Bear had several strikes against him as an escape artist, or better know in the community as a dog at large. Several complaints had been filed against Bear and his current owner. Unfortunately for Bear, the two people who had loved and raised him from the time he was 3 weeks old had to move from a rather remote area in Colorado to one of the larger suburbs of Denver. Bear could not go - the home would be much too confining, so he was placed with someone he had known since he was a puppy. This woman did the best she could to keep Bear confined; still, he continued to escape with a companion ******. Together, they would wander the neighborhood. People in the neighborhood would call the police, which is how the SWAT team had come to arrive on the scene.
In a last ditch effort to save Bear’s life, his original owner was called. If she could get there in time, the police would allow her to tranquilize him and place him at a sanctuary. Juanita arrived just as SWAT team members were tracking Bear in an effort to shoot him. These people were only doing their job, and did not really want to **** this ****** - they allowed Juanita to tranquilize him. It took several attempts and, in the end, there was a fear that Bear had been over-tranquilized. Bear was loaded into the car of another woman who had been instrumental in saving Bear’s life, and was brought to Wolf.
Bear started his life at Wolf in the isolation run, as do all new arrivals to the facility. When approached, he would go to the other side of the enclosure. He was gentle enough, but he would not allow anyone to approach him or touch him.
One of the biggest concerns about Bear was a large growth on the knee of his left leg. Wolf’s veterinarians were called to examine the large wolf. In order to accomplish this, Bear would have to be tranquilized. An expert in ****** immobilization was called in, and, with one quick puff of air on a blowgun, Bear was darted and tranquilized. For the purpose of this narration, the darting process has been extremely simplified, and it will suffice to say that it is not the way you see it on Wild Kingdom. Darting and tranquilizing an ****** is not an exact science.
Upon examination by the veterinarians, it was suspected that the growth on Bear’s leg was a very large, cancerous tumor. The surgery began, and all in attendance were fraught with concern and tension. As the surgery progressed, everyone was shocked and amazed to discover that the growth was actually a fluid sack, filled with dead white corpuscles, and a slug from a 9mm bullet. Although it was devastating to know that Bear had been shot, it was also a relief to know that he did not have cancer.
Bear was placed in a full sized enclosure with Cheyenne and Spirit. Eventually, Cherokee joined the other three *******. Bear’s physical injury had healed beautifully, and he bonded very well with the other ******* in his enclosure. Bear became very dedicated to Cherokee, who was seven months old at the time he joined the group. We still, to this day, do not understand why, but Bear suddenly decided that he no longer wanted Cheyenne or Spirit in his enclosure. Cheyenne and Spirit were moved to an enclosure of their own, and Bear and Cherokee became inseparable.
As if there had not been enough trauma in Bear’s life, in the spring of 2000, there was a forest fire close enough to the rescue that all of the ******* had to be evacuated (see “Evacuate!” in the summer 2000 newsletter). The Great Spirit was with us that day, and all of the ******* were evacuated safely. The true trauma for Bear started 24 hours after the ******* were returned to the facility, when Cherokee ****** away from complications related to stress. Bear started to grieve for the loss of Cherokee, and everyone at the rescue became concerned for Bear’s life.
Bear had been with Cherokee when he died and therefore knew his companion would not be returning. After several weeks of allowing Bear to have his personal time and space, it was decided to try placing Kiki and Matoskah in with the sad white wolf. Both of these ******* were still considered pups, as far as wolves are concerned, and we know Bear loves puppies.
The transfer of Kiki and Matoskah was planned and executed in one day. Everyone involved held their collective breath when the two pups were released in Bear’s enclosure. True to the nature of wolves, Bear accepted Kiki and Matoskah as his own. At this writing, we are happy to say that Bear, Kiki and Matoskah are living happily together at Wolf.
He was born in '92 and he died in '02
