Sophie was a young black bear from North America whose death in April 2019 broke everyone’s hearts. After escaping from her enclosure at Oswald Bear Ranch (a tourist trap in Michigan in which bears are used for photographic operations), she was shot when found –days later… People were outraged when they learned about her violent death. But PETA recently discovered an interesting connection regarding Sophie, and it could lead to even more of the same rage. (But don’t worry – we have a place where you can express all your disgust for Oswald.)
Before she was killed, Sophie was kept in a cage with two other young bears, Ashley and Sussie. All three were seen walking and screaming, and Sassi chewing on the cage repeatedly, all signs of severe stress.
We knew that Sophie had arrived with Oswald from Animal Entertainments Inc. (a dealer in Wisconsin) who purchased it from Nick’s Barnyard Buddies (a roadside zoo in Missouri). We thought she was born to Nick, but new information suggested another possibility, which is perhaps even worse. Yellowstone Bear World (a seedy exhibitor from Idaho who breeds cubs and then terrorizes them for money) actually sent several cubs to Nick just two days before Sophie arrived at Animal Entertainments Inc. So she may have been born at Yellowstone Bear World in Idaho. transported to Missouri, then sent to Wisconsin and then taken to Michigan (and subsequently kept in a concrete paddock, used for photographic operations, and shot). Why could it be worse than being born to Nick? What we thought was roughly an 880-mile journey could actually be a 2,200-mile trek in just three days – and during that time, little Sophie needed to feel safe and comfortable with the caring and protective side of her mother.
Trashy keeping records of these tourist traps means we’ll probably never know for sure if Sophie was born in the Yellowstone Bear World. But the fact that it’s even possible is a testament to how terrible the baby petting industry is.
Oswald’s Bear Ranch: Making Bears Cry and Die for Years
we can Confirm a lot about the place where Sophie spent most of her short life:
- Oswald’s Bear Ranch slaughtered at least six bears and euthanized at least one for “meanness.”
- The representative of the enterprise said that such bears should be “made dried”.
- Despite being advertised as a rescue facility, the roadside zoo did not receive any wild orphaned cubs between 2011 and October 2018. However, over the past 25 years, he has raised 13 cubs and acquired or received 73 others for use in ops photography, including three purchased last year from the same Wisconsin dealer. (But we may never know where they were born.)
Before Sophie’s untimely death, PETA received stunning footage of her, Ashley, and Sussie walking and shouting:
In nature, the cubs spend their time playing, exploring and communicating with each other and with their mother. But Oswald uses the cubs for photo shoots, which are very destructive and can lead to long-term psychological stress. When not used as supports, these young bears are kept in enclosures with concrete floors, which can be especially dangerous for their fragile bones and muscles and lead to painful and debilitating joint problems as they age.
Oswald’s Bear Ranch – Death Trap – Act Now!
Under no circumstances should animals be locked up in cramped cages and made to suffer just so that people can take pictures with them (or for any other reason). Don’t let Oswald go unpunished with this exploitation – click below to convince the roadside zoo to send the remaining bears to accredited sanctuaries before they die:
Tell Oswald’s Bear Ranch to stop exploiting bears