Bears in Bolivia! Group determined to get them a good home

Add Us On GoogleAdd as a preferred source on Google

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WECT) - A Pender County man is determined to find the ideal home for two bears that never left a zoo after it closed down years ago in Brunswick County.

Howard Loughlin says he fell in love with the bears in Bolivia, who live at what used to be the Faircloth Zoo in Bolivia. "Shadow" and "Jerry" are mixes of the Syrian Grizzly Bear and a Black Bear. He visits them often, feeding them Honey Buns each time he sees them.

"We just fell in love with them," said Loughlin. "They're so...human. I don't know how to explain it. Every kid has a teddy bear. They're just neat."

According to Loughlin, the bears can't stay in Bolivia much longer without becoming too much for their owner to handle. That's why he's springing into action to find them a home.

Loughlin says a Lynnwood Park Zoo in Jacksonville would be the perfect spot for the bear pair, but there isn't a suitable facility for them yet.

To change that, Loughlin and some friends are working to raise money to build a suitable home for the bears in Jacksonville.

You can find out more about the project at www.publicimage1.com/anf