NC attraction will stop letting public feed bears

GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN, N.C. (AP) - Officials at Grandfather Mountain say they will stop letting tourists feed the bears in its habitats.

By: The Associated Press | WNCT
Published: March 13, 2010

» Comments | Post a Comment

GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN, N.C. (AP) - Officials at Grandfather Mountain say they will stop letting tourists feed the bears in its habitats.
Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation executive director Penn Dameron told The Citizen-Times of Asheville for a story Saturday that the attraction will close its Bear Hut on June 1.
Dameron says letting the public feed the bears means some animals are not getting enough to eat while others are getting too much.
Bear habitat manager Christie Tipton says the bears get along better when they are not competing for food. The policy change will let the public see them behaving more naturally and not begging for food.
Grandfather Mountain began keeping bears in 1968 as part of a wildlife propagation program. Eight bears currently live in the habitat.
---
On the Net: Grandfather Mountain: www.grandfather.com

---
Information from: The Asheville Citizen-Times, http://www.citizen-times.com

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)