Obese Bear Relocated From Sportsmen's Club Where He Lived Next To Shooting Range

An obese Asiatic back bear is getting moved from a small enclosure at the Union County Sportsmen’s club in Pennsylvania to Colorado’s Eastern Plains.

Kent Drotar from the Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg claimed the bear might have been there for decades.

During that time, Dillan, the bear, was subjected to the continuous sound of gunfire as his cage was situated 200 feet away from a shooting range.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals claimed it’s the keeping of the animals at the sportsmen’s club that has to end.

Debbie Metzler, associate director at PETA, said that they would like the other animals to be relocated as well.

She confirmed the Asiatic black bear was loaded into a secure trailer on Monday afternoon.

Metzler also equated the relocation of the animal to being released from a prison cell. Dillan is to be housed at a sanctuary in Colorado, where he is going to walk on soft ground and climb obstacles.

She stated the bear must have been hundreds of pounds overweight, and this was the worst scenario they had ever seen.

The bear had spent years inside his cage at the Union County Sportsmen’s club and wildlife sanctuary, where he grew to an unhealthy size.

Union County Sportsmen’s Club president, Orville Spangler, gave a defense asking what they could have done considering the bear was at a sanctuary, and he was fed but did not get any exercise.

After getting pressure from a number of organizations and thousands of people, including Alec Baldwin, the sportsmen’s club decided to release the bear on Monday.

Officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the bear was suffering from severe dental issues, including missing teeth, a receding gum line, and discolored teeth. The bear was also seen rocking back and forth, which could be a sign of pain.

On Tuesday, the bear was transferred to the Wildlife Sanctuary in Keensburg, and he is currently getting medical attention from the sanctuary’s clinic.

The sanctuary is hoping to send Dillan to a refuge located in Southern Colorado in the spring, where the bear will spend the rest of his life in a 30 to 40-acre area with another rescued Asiatic bear.

Metzler mentioned that regular activities at the sportsmen club, including the constant shooting, have prevented the bear from hibernating, and that may have contributed to his obesity.

She added the enlisting of Alec Baldwin was the last resort after months of trying to negotiate the release of the bear.