This is a series of diaries highlighting animal rescues around the country and noting and celebrating the work they do to help animals who have no voices but ours to speak for them. I have decided to make this a daily series because there are so many wonderful rescues out there who need human help and weekly just doesn't seem to be enough. I have long wanted to start a rescue but lack the resources or time available to do so right now so this is my attempt to do my part. I hope that these rescues will benefit from the kindness and benevolence of the community here at Daily Kos. They are amazing organizations and worthy of Kossack attention and care. The last 3 diaries and this one were suggested by
patbahn. Thank you!
I am here, alive and all around you
I have no voice
In your trees, your air, your fields, your oceans, your world
I have no voice
I am a mother, a father, a protector, a soul
I have no voice
I can walk, crawl, sing, fear
I have no voice
You must be my voice
The Appalachian Bear Rescue - Townsend, TN
The website is here
You can donate here
Welcome!
Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR) is a one-of-a-kind black bear rehabilitation facility. Located just outside of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Townsend, TN, ABR is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that has been returning black bears back to the wild since 1996. Each year black bears from our national parks and surrounding areas are orphaned, injured or in need of medical care. Thanks to Appalachian Bear Rescue, these bears are rehabilitated and released back to the wild.
Appalachian Bear Rescue announces our new "Cubs for Kids" initiative. It allows you to help injured and orphaned black bear cubs AND children in our area! Your donation of $50.00 will provide much needed funding for the ABR facility, and a child in need will receive a stuffed black bear cub as a Christmas gift. Please help ABR cubs and provide a smile to a child at Christmas...
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The Wild Enclosure Campaign
PRESS RELEASE
Media Contact:
Dana Dodd
ABR Media Contact Person
Telephone: (865) 630-8428
Email
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. November 20, 2013 - We have officially kicked off the WILD ENCLOSURE CAMPAIGN. ABR wants to double the wild enclosure space over the coming winter. We must prepare the land, install proper fencing, establish additional water sources, create dens, and provide proper access for our curators to care for the bear cubs.
WINTER IS THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO DO THIS IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE DISTURBANCES TO OUR BEARS. A local business has offered a generous discount if we can start the work in January 2014.
With your support, we can embark on this important project that will cost approximately $120,000.
Your generous donation to our Wild Enclosure Campaign will ensure that we can say "YES, WE ARE HERE!" to all the cubs that need our care.
Thank you for whatever you can do to help make this project a success.
CLICK HERE TO CONTRIBUTE:
Chester
One day an officer for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park transported bears ‘Chester’ and ‘Camper’ to ABR. Both yearlings were far underweight, weighing 30 pounds and 27 pounds respectively. But Camper had no injuries and only needed some good nutrition and ample recovery time.
Chester, however, was not only small for his age he had also suffered a broken rear femur and had puncture wounds on his front paws. He definitely needed specialized attention. A Park wildlife biologist said the male bear had probably been recently weaned from its mother at nearly 30 pounds underweight and was hardly able to move around at the time. They were not sure how Chester was injured but they believed the mother may well have pushed him too hard while weaning him from her.
University of Tennessee veterinarians performed surgery on Chester to repair his leg before he was transported to ABR. He arrived looking like a mere shadow of himself with 1/3 of his body shaved from surgery. He was put in confinement to recover and remained there for six weeks. But he progressed well and was introduced to another bear in late August.
However, as their planned release date approached, UT veterinarians found Chester's leg had not completely healed and so a second surgery was performed on a much larger Chester.
Yes, by this time Chester weighed approximately 150 pounds!
After the successful surgery Chester returned to confinement at ABR in order to give his leg every opportunity to heal properly. His pen mate, Ivy, kept close tabs on him while in confinement. She vocalized with Chester frequently and he, in turn, watched her constantly.
Once Ivy was released Chester's confinement days ended as well and he darted out to enjoy the familiar trees and dens of ABR's much larger Wild Bear enclosure. There was no limp in his gait and he ran happily throughout the enclosure.
As it turned out, Chester was ABR’s only resident for that winter and he spent his days making large pine needle dens and resting in solitude.
Finally, in April (and by now weighing 189 pounds!) Chester was returned home to the Great Smoky Mountains after a final checkup by UT Veterinarians. He was released not far from where he had been rescued some nine months earlier.
*Release photo by Phil Snow, UT College of Veterinary Medicine
More amazing rescue stories here
ABR's Capital Cub Nursery Campaign link
Please consider being a part of our ABR Facilities effort to complete a proper Cub Nursery for the cubs of 2012 and years to come! We are also working to complete other very important projects for the ABR cubs.
This capital campaign raises funds for three important projects:
(a) We will turn an empty shed into a nursery for orphaned cubs too young for enclosures;
(b) We will build a refrigerated storage unit, letting us buy nutritious cub food in bulk; and
(c) We will create a second wild enclosure to allow regeneration of the forest growth.
We do our work for the black bear cubs with the help of generous and caring individuals like YOU. Together, we can return more cubs to the wild. Together, we can make a significant difference for the black bears in Townsend and beyond. Together, we can be part of an enormous success.
To do these things, and to care for cubs, we need your help. Your continued support is essential to our success. Together, we can save more black bear cubs.
Please use the donate here to send us your cub nursery contribution.
NOTE: This is the empty building that we are turning into a much-needed CUBBY NURSERY. It will eventually be completely insulated and outfitted with shelving, workspace, supplies, electricity -- in short, everything that is needed to make the tiniest cubs warm, safe and comfortable until they are large enough to 'graduate' to an outdoor pen. The curator will be able to care for these wee ones that need round-the-clock feedings in an appropriate environment.
ABR's "Help Make this Cubby Chubby" Campaign
You can help our many hungry cubs by donating on-line to our “Chubby Cubby” Campaign. Every dollar donated via the Townsend IGA (Village Market) goes to Appalachian Bear Rescue in the form of GIFT CARDS that we then use to purchase fresh food for orphaned cubs and bears.
Follow THIS LINK to the Townsend IGA's Appalachian Bear Rescue notice that includes a PayPal Donate button. It looks like this:
That's it! Click to donate to this worthy cause!
Gift Cards for Food and Supplies
Gift cards are helpful and excellent donations to ABR because perishable food does not have to be purchased until it is needed. This eliminates the requirement for storage.
Gift cards can also be used to purchase medical supplies in addition to food.
We are already tax-exempt at the following local stores that offer gift cards:
Walmart
Lowes
Home Depot
Food City
Kroger
Food Lion
Village Market (Townsend IGA)
Dollar General
Blount County Co-Op
Tractor Supply
Help Meet ABR's Wish List on Amazon!
You can make a big difference, too, by visiting ABR's Amazon Wish List -- this list is always updated and current, and it includes a SHIP TO address so you can pick out an item to purchase for ABR and have it sent directly to the recipient at checkout. Easy!