Bob Barker Stands Up For Bears

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Former game show host and longtime animal rights activist Bob Barker has made a personal appeal to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina to stop exhibiting bears in pit-like enclosures at three local zoos.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reported that Barker met Tuesday with Principal Chief Michell Hicks and five members of the Tribal Council. He called the bears' conditions inhumane and asked that they be turned over to a sanctuary in California.

"To think that with as advanced as our civilization is now that there is any place in the United States were bears are kept in pits is just unbelievable," said Barker, who is part American Indian and grew up on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. "Just picture yourself, if your life, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, month after month, was in a pit."

The bears are displayed in walled enclosures set into the ground at three local attractions that bill themselves as zoos and theme parks.

Barker will discuss the meeting at a news conference Wednesday morning in Asheville.

Hicks told the Asheville Citizen-Times that the tribe follows federal regulations in caring for the bears.

Collette Coggins, who owns one of the attractions, the Cherokee Bear Zoo, with her husband, Barry, said the bears don't stay in the pits all day, every day. "We love our animals," she said. "They are like our pets."

Comments

[Gail818]

I am glad Bob Barker is speaking up for the Bears and all animals..s­omeone has to
Animals need to be respected that is no qualtify of life for those animals
who is the animal here

[lurkmode]

Let me tell you something JeanRR, I've seen these places and they're deplorable. The bears even seem depressed being there.

Here's some photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jacobkrejci/sets/72157594145425904/

Thank you Bob for speaking up! Hopefully they will make some changes.

[JeanRR]

Bob Barker should stick to sexually harassing his employees. Just because he grew up on Rosebud, he doesn't have a right to tell everyone what to do. The bears should be treated humanely but a pit could be a bad pit or a comfortable pit. I have not seen the enclosure in question but I think people are reacting to the word 'pit'--which Barker is hoping for.

[wm1066]

Wow, I didn't know Bob Barker grew up on the Rosebud. I am one state over (Minnesota) and when I was growing our local town park had a bear in ten by ten pen. It was very sad, the bear was crazy from being taunted by kids and wasn't taken care of. He was finally euthanized and they got rid of the pen. That poor bear, it still bothers me.
Go Bob!

[smartcookienyc]

Sure. He's against exploitation of animals. Women in beauty pagents, that's another story. After all, they do it for the scholarship money.

[FalconerHK]

I always thought those big hairy dudes looked like they could take care of themselves, but I guess Bob has a special place in his heart for them. Awwww...

[katedog]

Hey, Collette Coggins, owner of Cherokee Bear Zoo, bears aren't pets.

Good for Bob Barker. He recently donated millions to law schools to advance animal legal curriculums; and of course long before that, he advocated to spay and neuter your pets after every show. Thank you Bob!

[LMPE]

Bear with me...

[ashabot]

So then, Collette, you also keep you dogs and cats in a pit? How are you children faring?

[maisnon55]

no, their dog is hooked up all year to a doghouse..­........so­me people just DO NOT get it

[Smirk]

BEARS!!! Stephen Colbert will not be pleased!

[Smileoggi]

I thought he stood up for Barker's beauties!

[Chilblain]

I could have sworn Bob Barker was dead. Guess not. Vampires live forever.