Bear Festival

Floridians have sharks. Mexicans have snakes. B.C. residents have bears. Every part of the world has a predatory animal that strikes fear in the population's hearts. But perhaps we've been misled. This weekend, you can take part in a festival that is meant to assuage your fears.

April 23 to 29 has officially been declared "Bear Week" in North Vancouver. Activities throughout the week are designed to explore ways to co-exist with bears, while our population grows, encroaching upon their natural habitats. There will be talks, tours, family parties at the beach, and carnivals!

Bear experts Ben Kilham and Charlie Russell will give a talk on Friday, Apr. 27th. Kilham has been featured in the media, and is nicknamed "Mother Bear Man" for having raised bear cubs. In the past decade, Russell has rescued and released zoo cubs from Kamchatka, Russia.

"We're being really terrible about getting along with these animals, because we're incredibly fearful of them," states Russell. "We're fearful of them because of these stories that have been passed on for centures about how terrible these animals are. The truth is, they're not horrible."

The next day, Saturday April 28th, they'll both give rainforest bear habitat eco-tours. Interested parties are encouraged to reserve a spot on-line. Then Bear Week will end with a bang: a family carnival and party at the beach!

Photo of Ben Kilham courtesy of Boston Globe.