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Friday, June 17, 2005

Bear Cub Makes Unusual Pet

June 16, 2005
Bear Cub Makes Unusual Pet

Lions, tigers and bears, oh my! They're animals you expect to only see in the zoo. But more and more Iowans are keeping them as pets.

It takes 20 bottles of milk a day to feed Boo-Boo the bear cub. Boo-Boo is like a baby to her caregiver, Roberta James. James says, "She'll cuddle up to you and pet you and the curiosity --everything to her is new. Something that young exploring the world, it's fun."

Exotic pets like Boo-Boo are becoming more popular in Iowa. It's legal, so long as you get a permit from the county where you live or from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Roberta bought Boo-Boo from a registered breeder in Minnesota. For the permit and delivery, Boo-Boo only cost $500."

Linda Nebbe with the Black Hawk Wildlife Rehabilitation project doesn't agree with owning exotic pets. That's because she's had to find homes for many animals once they grow out of the baby stage. Nebbe says, "They're going to want to territory, mate, to have young and all of those are points where they're going to have to defend that part of their life."

Nebbe says santuaries that house unwanted exoctic pets are full all across the nation. And many times, veterinarians have to euthenize the animals. Roberta says her family has experience dealing with extremely large animals and plans to give Boo-Boo to her son once she grows. Roberta plans to raise Boo-Boo right.

"I think if you acquire them from domestic stock and work with them from a young age, you shouldn't have a problem. But it's anybody's guess. You can raise a child and have a problem with a child, so it's a roll of the dice," says Roberta.

Cities and counties can ban exotic pets. The cities of Waterloo, Dubuque, Iowa City, and Cedar Rapids already have. Roberta feels lucky to take care of Boo-Boo now, and she's confident her son can care for the bear when she's all grown up.

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# Posted by a PetLvr @ Friday, June 17, 2005