Inhumane Treatment of Bears at 3 Facilities in Cherokee, NC

February 3, 2013

An undercover investigation by the animal advocate group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has revealed bears living in deplorable conditions at three road-side zoos located on the Qualla Boundary in Cherokee, North Carolina. Details of the conditions of these facilities can be read under FINDINGS at the end of this article.

Most Cherokee people had no idea what was taking place behind the bars of these road-side zoos. Some Cherokee elders are so appalled that they have decided to take action in an attempt to shut down these facilities and bring a halt to the horrible treatment of these jailed bears. Along with other elders, Peggy Hill and Amy Walker plan to introduce a resolution to permanently close Chief Saunooke’s Bear Park, Cherokee Bear Zoo, and Santa’s Land in an upcoming Tribal Council meeting. Now that the deplorable conditions are known this will give the Principal Chief and Tribal Council an opportunity to make the right decision on behalf of the bears. The following words reveal some of the deep feelings the Elders hold regarding the inhumane treatment of the bears at these facilities.

“Our ancestors, the Kituwah, have been the keepers of these sacred mountains and all of the various life forms that inhabit our precious home land for more than 10,000 years. Our people have survived and sustained life here for thousands of years by respecting ALL life - whether plant, animal, bird, fish or creepy crawlers. We have been taught to give thanks for all Creation; for Creation itself gives us life. Generation after generation we have lived off the land - gathering plants, fishing, and hunting. With great respect for Creation we have learned the appropriate way - taking only what we need to sustain our lives, leaving plenty for others and maintaining these life forms for future use.

Our people knew that Creator had put us in charge of all living things, trusting us with such stewardship and showing us what we could use so that life could continue as planned. Every living thing was intricately designed so as to play a vital role within the circle of life and contributing to the cycle of life. They were placed within specific environments – soil for the plants; water for the fish; air for the birds, two-legged and four-legged beings and crawlers as well. We understand all life requires nurturing and specific elements for sustenance.

Life that is altered or displaced begins to experience psychological, physical, and spiritual deficiencies. We can see how historical disturbances have affected our lives, leaving us with a sense of disconnect which has had an impact throughout all aspects of our lives. When we look at our disrupted life, as native people we should be able to connect, sympathize, empathize, recognize and acknowledge how all forms of life are affected when strange and unnatural circumstances invade a presence. So it is with the bears and other animals when placed out of their natural environment, but especially with an animal as wise and sensitive as a bear.”

The elders conclude by saying they want to “give these animals the freedom to live in a semblance of their natural environment just as we have been given the freedom to live in our native culture and homeland. We of all people should be able to relate to the sufferings of these innocent victims. Let us, the People - the Kituwahs, set the example for all mankind to follow when it comes to how we treat and co-exist with Creation.”

Many people - regardless of race, religion or background - who share a respect for all living beings and the sanctity of life certainly hope the Elders will succeed in their mission - as do the bears.

FINDINGS:
The facilities include Chief Saunooke’s Bear Park, Cherokee Bear Zoo, and Santa’s Land. The PETA investigation prompted inspections by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and the subsequent suspension of operations at Chief Saunooke’s Bear Park. The owner’s license has been revoked and he has been fined $20,000.

In a Status of Bear Welfare in Cherokee Report prepared by PETA concerning Chief Saunooke’s Bear Park it states, “This facility housed a total of approximately 14 American and Asiatic black bears, grizzly bears, and likely Syrian brown bears in pits… Furnishings were old, sparse, and nonfunctional. The few tree trunks and branches in the enclosures were hard, smooth, and stripped of bark. Objects were sparse, consisting of a few hanging tires and a boomer ball in the brown bear and Asiatic black bear enclosures and a few immovable stones embedded in the concrete floor, presumably decorative in function. No other enrichment objects were observed.” The summary concludes by saying, “The facility provided no special attention to two bear cubs who were housed there. Despite the fact that bear cubs require especially rich and complex living environments for their developing minds and bodies, the bear cubs’ enclosure was as barren as the adult exhibits. Both cubs exhibited entrenched pacing stereotypes; one cub was frantic in his pacing and head-swinging.”

Similar conditions were found at Cherokee Bear Zoo where the bears are also housed in concrete pits. According to the PETA report, “This facility housed a total of about 10 American black bears and grizzly bears in pits. High cinder block walls confined the bears on smooth concrete floors. The pits each contained a low-walled concrete pool and one or two thin vertical tree trunks. No other structural enhancements or furnishings were present. The only objects present were a single old rubber tire in each enclosure and a short section of old tree branch on the floor of one of the grizzly bear enclosures.”

In regards to Santa’s Land the report states the facility “housed two American black bear cubs in an enclosure that was fenced in by an approximately 8-foot-high chain-link fence on a hardpan dirt floor (hard, densely packed soil) as well as two adult black bears in an extremely small cage with a concrete floor. An old hollow log and a steel drum situated beneath a wooden canopy structure, a few stumps denuded of bark, and a shallow concrete pool were the only furnishings provided for the American black bear cubs in the fenced enclosure. No other furnishings or objects were present, and no complex enrichment was provided for the cubs’ developing minds and bodies. The adult black bear cage contained a few stumps, several large rocks embedded in the concrete floor, and a hanging branch, but was otherwise barren.”

PETA’s undercover video, narrated by television personality Bob Barker, revealed more serious problems than those of the narratives above. The tape revealed an employee holding back food from the bears in the evening so “they’d be super hungry for the people the next day, ya know.” In a reference to the USDA inspectors another employee stated, “You just got to be careful because they think you are trying to hide something – which we are!” One worker stated, “Like once in a while when I’m up there, just to change things up, I might get high - and it does alter everything you know.” Obviously, drugs or alcohol should never be used by any animal caretaker. One employee even voiced racial slurs towards the Cherokee people and a suggestion that Native Americans never be hired.

Yet, the most startling revelation came from a Chief Saunooke’s Bear Park employee who indicated he had eaten at least one of the bears from the zoo. He arrogantly brags on the undercover video, “Took 20 shots to kill that bear – straight in the head. I eat them. Nothing better than a bear that’s been eating bread and apples all its life. Meat’s good.”