TOWNSEND, Tenn. -- Since 1996, the Appalachian
Bear Rescue (ABR) has rehabilitated
orphaned or injured black bears and returned them to
the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and
surrounding area.
It's satisfying work for committed volunteers such
as Tom Brosch. "You get such satisfaction when bears
are returned to the wild," he says. "You feel so good
that they're back where they belong, but you also do
it with mixed emotions because you feel a
responsibility to them."
The nonprofit ABR works with the Tennessee Wildlife
Resources Agency and the National
Park Service to ensure the black bear's
survival for generations to come.
The ABR's three-fold mission is:
• to rehabilitate orphaned and injured bears
for release to the wild;
• to educate the public about black bears and
the regional threats facing them; and
• to research bear attributes which may help
solve other environmental or health issues.
ABR operates a 14.8-acre facility near Townsend,
Tenn., but it is not open for public tours.
In fact, bears under the center's care are held in
two half-acre pens which allow trained personnel to
rehabilitate them with minimal contact.
"We'll keep a bear anywhere from one week to six
months or longer," Brosch says. "Before we release one
back into the wild, it must be healthy enough and big
enough to survive on its own."
ABR volunteers sponsor educational booths and visit
schools to discuss their bear care projects, he adds.
They also host an annual fundraising event called
"Bear Tales."
Call (865) 448-0143 or e-mail info@appbears.org
to learn how you can support the Appalachian Bear
Rescue.
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