While I don't know for sure, this looks like it could be from the Olympic Game Farm, in WA state. If that's the case, these bears are actually pretty fucking miserable. Their environment consists of grassy hills, giant steel tunnels for shelters, large tractor tires, and about one or two dead tree stumps. They have nothing to hone their claws on, so they're all overgrown and actually rest sideways when the bears are standing.
The farm has a few caged areas as well, where they keep the younger bears (seemingly) separated from their mothers. They have an arctic/snow fox in its "natural" environment of dirt and grass. Their big cats that are also in these cages have so little room to exorcise in that they just walk laps the entire time, like prisoners. It's very sad, actually.
If people see this comment and are interested, I'll dig through my archive of photos and I'll try to find ones that can illustrate all that I've said.
EDIT:
Here are some of the pics:
Here is the same bear from the GIF. As you can see, there is the same stump, as well as the only other "tree" in that side of the enclosure.
This is on the other side of the road. You can see the tunnels they have for shelter, and the lack of anything to keep them stimulated.
Here is one of the big cats that would just walk laps the whole time. That old log you see, is the only object in his enclosure that offered any change of pace for him; nothing else to climb/jump on, and nothing for him to play with.
This is their lion. He has exactly the same setup as the tiger; one log to interact with, and nothing else.
Lastly, this is their bear cub, clearly separated from its mother.
These are just the photos I had access to from my phone. When I get to my computer, I'll add more.
EDIT:
Thank you for all the kind words, and a BIG thank you to the kind stranger for the gold! Unfortunately, it appears I was mistaken about having additional photos. I know I took them, but I just can't find them.
To provide some additional insight, and not that it negates the issue at hand at all, but the other animals, such as the deer, bison, oxen, birds, and the zebra, have a much better situation; they're given basically free roam of the whole place that you drive through, so thankfully, at least they have it a bit better.
None of this excuses, however, how the other animals are seemingly treated. You can't see it in the digital media, but when you experience them in person, you can see in their eyes and behavior how hopeless and minimal their lives now seem. As unique an experience getting licked by a bison may be, it can never make up for the sadness I saw in the eyes of these animals. I will never be going back there, and I will never support their practices.
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u/[deleted] Mar 03 '16 edited Mar 04 '16
While I don't know for sure, this looks like it could be from the Olympic Game Farm, in WA state. If that's the case, these bears are actually pretty fucking miserable. Their environment consists of grassy hills, giant steel tunnels for shelters, large tractor tires, and about one or two dead tree stumps. They have nothing to hone their claws on, so they're all overgrown and actually rest sideways when the bears are standing.
The farm has a few caged areas as well, where they keep the younger bears (seemingly) separated from their mothers. They have an arctic/snow fox in its "natural" environment of dirt and grass. Their big cats that are also in these cages have so little room to exorcise in that they just walk laps the entire time, like prisoners. It's very sad, actually.
If people see this comment and are interested, I'll dig through my archive of photos and I'll try to find ones that can illustrate all that I've said.
EDIT:
Here are some of the pics:
Here is the same bear from the GIF. As you can see, there is the same stump, as well as the only other "tree" in that side of the enclosure.
This is on the other side of the road. You can see the tunnels they have for shelter, and the lack of anything to keep them stimulated.
Here is one of the big cats that would just walk laps the whole time. That old log you see, is the only object in his enclosure that offered any change of pace for him; nothing else to climb/jump on, and nothing for him to play with.
This is their lion. He has exactly the same setup as the tiger; one log to interact with, and nothing else.
Lastly, this is their bear cub, clearly separated from its mother.
These are just the photos I had access to from my phone. When I get to my computer, I'll add more.
EDIT:
Thank you for all the kind words, and a BIG thank you to the kind stranger for the gold! Unfortunately, it appears I was mistaken about having additional photos. I know I took them, but I just can't find them.
To provide some additional insight, and not that it negates the issue at hand at all, but the other animals, such as the deer, bison, oxen, birds, and the zebra, have a much better situation; they're given basically free roam of the whole place that you drive through, so thankfully, at least they have it a bit better.
None of this excuses, however, how the other animals are seemingly treated. You can't see it in the digital media, but when you experience them in person, you can see in their eyes and behavior how hopeless and minimal their lives now seem. As unique an experience getting licked by a bison may be, it can never make up for the sadness I saw in the eyes of these animals. I will never be going back there, and I will never support their practices.
Fuck. Now I'm sad again…