09/19/2021
Went upto the kicking horse mountain resort 3 times only to see the social media viral star Boo. Disappointed on our first two visits, he didnt show up and luckily he emerged out from the trees on our third and final visit ! Here he is, the big boi Boo!
THE STORY OF BOO AND THE KICKING HORSE GRIZZLY BEAR REFUGE
Boo’s story will tug at your heartstrings. He and his brother, Cari, were actually born in the wild but faced tragedy in 2002 when their mother was shot and killed by a poacher. At only 5 months old, the grizzly cubs were left orphaned and defenceless. Typically, cubs stay under their mother’s protection for 2-3 years after birth. Grizzly mothers are known to be fiercely protective of their children yet even under such care, a mother will typically lose half of her cubs within the first year due to starvation, disease and predators. Without their mother’s protection at such a young age, Boo and Cari’s chances of survival were rather grim.
Fortunately, the cubs were given a second chance at life when they were discovered in the Cariboo Mountains. They were able to find a new home at the Kicking Horse Grizzly Bear Refuge, which was designed and built specifically for them as a humanitarian effort by the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. If left to their own defences, Boo and Cari would not have survived. With the refuge, the resort also saw the opportunity for scientific research to gain extensive insight into the behaviour and life development of the grizzly bear species. Great efforts have been put into ensuring that the refuge closely resembles the wilderness, and a log den was constructed for the cubs to utilize during the harsh winters for hibernation.
Sadly, Cari passed away during his first winter dormancy due to uncontrollable circumstances. Yet Boo demonstrated tremendous resilience by overcoming the loss of his mother and brother and now continues to live alone at the refuge. There is no need to pity Boo though- male grizzlies are known to be solitary creatures, so living alone is a natural condition for him. He is content with residing at the refuge, which was made clearly evident back in 2006, when the young Boo escaped twice from the refuge by breaking down a steel door and charging a series of fences. Boo, being the Casanova he is, was spotted in the wild charming female grizzly bears on both occasions. However, Boo voluntarily decided not to remain in the wild, happily making his way back to the comforts of his own home at the refuge once mating season ended.
source: https://leavetown.com/magazine/kicking-horse-grizzly-bear-refuge/
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort Tourism Golden
shot: 6D mark II , 200mm*1.4x
