Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] There is a place in the remote northwards of Minnesota in North America. It's located near the town of orr. Population approximately 300. Outside this town is an area where normal rules are put to one side. It's a place where humans and wildlife meet. It's a special place, wholly unique and not without its controversies. This is the Vince Tschuti Wildlife Sanctuary run by the American Bear Association. ABA for short. The ABA is dedicated to promoting a better understanding of black bears and all wildlife through education, observation and experience.
[00:00:30] I'm your host Philip Stubley and welcome to the Bear Den.
[00:00:35] In the last episode we detailed the colourful life of Vinciutte. Check it out if you haven't already. Now let's continue the story which leads us to the birth of the American Bear Association.
[00:00:46] Vince was gone, but the moment had been prepared for. Three friends who had met while visiting Vince's property came together. Three passionate people who saw an opportunity to make a difference. And in 1995 the non profit American Bear association was officially created. All the foundations of what we do today spring from these people. The three co founders of the ABA are Karen Hauserman and husband and wife Bill and Clarie Lee.
[00:01:10] Karen Housman was born in Connecticut and on that day her dad bought her a teddy bear. Meaning bears have been a part of her life from the get go. As a child, Karen held weekly Saturday morning tea with bears and sisters, complete with renditions of the song Teddy Bear's Picnic.
[00:01:25] Karen became obsessed with bears and read anything she could about them. She still has her original bear to this day. By 1980 she moved to St. Paul, Minnesota to become a registered nurse. It was inevitable that she would hear of the bear man in the north woods. It was in the winter of 1990, while attending a black bear ecology course that Karen first heard whispers of Vince's place. Karen made her way to the woods in 1991 and kept coming back. During her frequent visits, Karen realized how much help Vince needed. So she dropped a couple of days from her work schedule so she could visit more often.
[00:01:58] The following year she rescheduled her work pattern so she could have nine days off every two weeks so she could spend even more time with the bears.
[00:02:06] Eventually she took early retirement to be the initial hands on person on the grounds following Vince. Stepping back the Lees after a wayward youth, Bill got a job with the U.S. forestry Service, eventually gaining experience as a forester in all national parks in North Carolina. He assumed many roles from ranger to interpretive specialist. But there was one passion that was slowly Taking over his life in his spare time. Every chance that Bill got, he was out photographing wildlife and nature. He sold his first photograph of a white tailed deer to Arkansas Wildlife in 1981. Every time you spend time with wildlife, it's a lesson in life, Bill once said. Indeed, if you've seen a photo of a North American black bear, especially one from the Smoky Mountains, it's likely to be one of Bill's. Bill and Clarie met at college and they went on to marry. Bill and Clarie were at first not interested in visiting Vinci's camp as he and Clary were not in favor of feeding bears. It was a biologist, Carl Racine, who convinced them to visit. It actually took him three years to convince them as well. As an aside, Carl was a great servant to the ABA and served as a board member for many years.
[00:03:08] In 1993, once the couple arrived at Vince's property, they initially only planned to stay for three days. After seeing bears, climbing trees, scent marking, vocalising, wrestling, swimming, cubs nursing and much more behaviours, they extended their stay to three weeks.
[00:03:24] A second visit was quickly planned. The second visit was meant to be two weeks. They ended up staying for six. Bill and Clarie not only took photos of the bears, but observed their behaviour as well. They learned and absorbed Vince's love and dedication for these misunderstood animals. Rewind to 1993. Vince had voiced concerns about what would happen to the bears if something happened to him. The three friends were left haunted by these words. Vince had been trying to get someone to take over since he had become ill, but nobody wanted any part of it. Vince worried that people would revert back to killing anything they didn't understand. The three friends answered the call to action. They made a vow to realise Vince's dream of a sanctuary for bears and a place for people, particularly for children, to learn about them. First things first. They needed the legal authority to the land the sanctuary was located on.
[00:04:13] Vince was happy to donate his land for the bears. In total, he donated 40 acres to bill and Clarie. It turned out it was easier said than done. Vince didn't actually have a clear title to most of the land and other landowners possessed key areas, including the one at the heart of the sanctuary itself. Vince had believed the land he was living on was his, as he had been paying the taxes on it for years. He may have purchased the land, but the deed was never updated to show this transaction. This has actually happened to several northern Minnesota residents. The 40 acre piece of land that Vince had thought was his had actually been up for sale for many years without anyone showing any interest. The ABA approached the landowners and long story short, eventually came to an agreement.
[00:04:58] By the winter of 1994, the ABA applied for 501 tax exempt status.
[00:05:32] Perhaps the most controversial and challenging decision was around continuing or stopping the feeding of the habituated bears. Could the bears be gradually weaned off of the supplemental food supplied here? Bear biologists were consulted and in most cases they stuck to the line that feeding wild bears led to problems for people and bears. After some long deliberation, the decision was taken to continue the feeding, which, given you're listening to this podcast, may not come as a big surprise.
[00:05:58] It is a decision the ABA still grapples with today and should rightly still be discussed. We are in effect an organisation that employs a do as I say, not as I do mentality. It is an organisation of contradictions and needs to strike the right balance and be as open as and as informative as possible. The decision felt right at the time due to the outstanding opportunities to observe wild bears, dispel myths and provide teachable moments for visitors. One prominent bear biologist probably put it best at the time, saying, every ounce of my formal training tells me this is wrong, but when I come here I am like a kid in a sandbox. It just feels right. The ABA moved to become a legitimate, responsible and professional outfit. Feeding was limited to a specific area, the magic circle and negative reinforcement measures were put in place to head off potential negative encounters outside of the feeding area. Once the ABA took over the running of the sanctuary, strict rules were enforced. Touching, hand feeding, walking among the bears and feeding by the public was not allowed. Vince wasn't initially happy about this, as he thought it meant people would lose a valuable way of connecting with the bears. This was done, though not just for the public safety, but for the bears as well. Visitor numbers had steadily grown over the years and the chance for a negative encounter grew with it. Some visitors, old timers who enjoyed the free for all atmosphere, also weren't too happy about being unable to get up close with the bears, but eventually came to understand why it was in everyone's best interest. In the past, people would put their children on the backs of large bears to get what we would now call the shot for the gram. Thankfully, until this point, there were only several minor instances of bears nipping people's backsides. Thank you bears for your restraint. Bears have been able to climb all over people's cars and the ABA took some time to convince them they weren't allowed to do this. Nowadays, white buckets filled with bear poop are used to protect cars. As it turns out, bears aren't massive fans of the smell of their own faeces. The next priority was to provide round the clock security for the sanctuary and the bears. On site housing needed to be built in the interim. The Leeds spent three months in a small cabin on the edge of the Magic Circle. It didn't have anything like electricity, running water or any modern amenities.
[00:08:08] Next was a massive clean up operation involving removing old cars, equipment and the mountains of litter from the feeding area. Vince was a bit of a hoarder. This seemed like an overwhelming task as this was the accumulation of about 50 years of garbage. Crowds of volunteers were enlisted. Biting insects, extreme temperatures and rustic living conditions didn't dampen their enthusiasm. It took over a year to clear up the grounds as it was completely covered in litter. It didn't help that people kept coming to dump fresh litter as they had done when Vince was in charge. People thought they were helping the bears and it was somewhere free for them to dump their garbage. A local scrap merchant removed 19,000 tons of old machinery and junk metal. Did the bears notice a difference? There were fewer open wounds on bears, footpads from broken glass and the bears behaviour did measurably improve.
[00:08:53] The removal of junk opened up the area for the bears. They were able to see further around them and crucially they learned to stop approaching visitors cars as they realized they weren't getting any food from there. Even now I've seen the land burp out old garbage like cans and bottles. An observation platform for visitors was built in 1996, all by hand.
[00:09:13] In September of that year a ceremony was held and it was dedicated to Vince. The platform has been extended over the years and it now houses a gift shop, tour toilets, informative signs and an accessible lift. In 2002, school buses were donated to the sanctuary. From now on, visitors would park their cars a mile up the road from the feeding area and ride the bus down. During the ride people are given a history of the sanctuary and a few housekeeping rules. Further legitimacy by the Department of Natural Resources was given to the ABA when in the summer of 1996 they asked if the sanctuary would care for three orphaned cubs until they grew to a size and age when they could be released into the wild. Volunteers quickly constructed an enclosure in an isolated spot on the grounds. A permit was issued and three tiny terrified cubs were brought to be housed there. For the cubs welfare, visits to the enclosure were kept to a minimum and Physical contact was prohibited. They quickly adapted to their new surroundings and had round the clock care. It's no easy feat when you consider cubs rely on nutrient rich milk from their mothers which contains 33% fat. For comparison, human milk is 3 to 5% fat. By the end of the summer, the cubs were still retreating and wary of the volunteers. When they were approached in the spring of 1997, the three healthy Cubs were released into the wild. The cubs would have to rely on their own instincts to make it, but they had been given a second chance.
[00:10:31] I should stress that this was a special case. The sanctuary has no authority to capture, rehab and or relocate bears. We are effectively a resource to advise anyone if they are having bear problems and will point you in the right direction if further action needs to be taken.
[00:10:46] There was some controversy stirred up in the local community by the sanctuary's attempt to request for a no hunting buffer zone around the property in 1998. This was specifically aimed at bear hunting due to unethical individuals targeting the sanctuary. There was a lot of local resentment, especially as people felt the need to protect their rights. The ABA withdrew its request as it did not want to create problems for the local community. The shooting of Mintz's favourite bear, Duffy, which was detailed in the last episode and the outcry following it went on to heal some of the wounds this request had created.
[00:11:17] The ABA has a neutral stance on hunting, but do request that any hunting is done legally and ethically. The ABA's primary mission is education and all who want to learn about black bears, other wildlife and their habitat are welcome to visit.
[00:11:30] All three co founders have remained involved with the ABA in one way or another. Bill runs photography workshops at the sanctuary. Clarie has been a past board member and offered support when the sanctuary needs it. Karen is still a board member and a past editor of the Bear In Mind, the ABA publication.
[00:11:47] They are some of the kindest, warmest and most generous people you will ever meet. I'd like to tell you a story that Clarie often told the volunteers. She has a deep connection to the sanctuary and the bears. Her depth of knowledge and wisdom about bears almost knows no bounds.
[00:12:02] I probably won't do this justice, but hearing her say it is very inspiring.
[00:12:07] The story begins with a man casually looking out of his ocean front window. As the sun slowly rises, he catches a view of a person curiously dancing along the beach. Intrigued by the sight, the man makes his way towards the shape. He finds a young boy feverishly picking up starfish and tossing them back into the sea. What are you doing? He asks without looking up and continually tossing starfish. The young boy answers, I must hurry to get the starfish into the water before the sun comes up or the starfish will surely die. The observer inquires, what difference can you possibly make? There are literally thousands of starfish lying on the shore. Without hesitation, and while tossing another starfish, the boy smiles and responds, I just made a difference for that one. And so the sanctuary makes a difference. One person, one bear at a time. It is very corny, but you could say we are all Karen, Bill, Clarie and Vinces starfish.
[00:13:06] Now, we've talked a lot about the people of the sanctuary. Why don't we start talking about bears? They are, after all, the reason why people come to the sanctuary in the first place. I want to highlight some of the more renowned bears at the sanctuary, both past and present. Remember, these bears are wild animals and are to be respected. As such, we can't project our human characteristics onto them, saying that though every bear is a unique individual animal with their own one of a kind personality, there is a story of, let's say, doubtful authenticity that black bears were first given this name by sailors who first landed on American shores. Having only seen the one colour variation, black. They didn't know any better. We'll forgive them for this if this is true. Black bears can be black, brown, cinnamon coloured. And there are also black bears with light bluey grey fur found in southeastern Alaska, known as glacier bears. Fun fact. In the United States, according to the National Park Services, brown is actually the most common colour for black bears. Another fun fact, in Minnesota, less than 10% of black bears are brown. And why am I going on about different black bear colour variations, you ask?
[00:14:13] Well, in 1999 the Minnesota Division of Natural Resources passed a permanent regulation protecting all white phase black bears from hunting in Minnesota State. This was a direct result of a bear that visited the Vinci Wildlife Sanctuary.
[00:14:30] Now let's cast our minds back to May 20, 1997. It was a day like any other at the sanctuary where anything can happen. Volunteers were going about their work when suddenly they saw a spectral shape making its way through the trees. It was a bear unlike any other. They had seen a bear with a white fur coat and it was not an albino bear. This young nervous white bear stepped out into the afternoon sunlight which formed an awesome halo around the bear. Because of this, the bear became known as Halo. Halo began returning each day after that. Soon enough, this shy and timid bear grew more comfortable and displayed a Playful and fun loving nature, Halo cautiously approached every bear he encountered in order to initiate play. He quickly became a favorite among volunteers of the time and this arrival created a worldwide media sensation.
[00:15:22] White furred bears can happen when both a black bear mother and father contain a recessive gene for white fur.
[00:15:29] So how rare are these white phase black bears? Apologies in advance for any mispronunciations of names or places. The spirit, also known as Kermode bear, that's K E R M O D E if you want to look it up, is the name given to a subspecies of black bears that range on the Canadian coast in British Columbia.
[00:15:48] Statistics in the area vary greatly, but it is estimated that on the mainland one in every 40 to 100 black bears are born with white fur. On Princess Royal island, one in every ten black bear is born with white fair and on Gribble island, white 1 in 3. So in total, about 10 to 20% of the commode bear population are white. They are a sacred symbol to the first nations, including the Tsimshian people. They tell stories of a long time ago when snow and ice covered the land, rarely melting. They believe that the creator gives 1 out of 10 spirit bear cubs white fur to remind humankind of the time when glaciers had covered their ancestral world. They also believe these unusual bears have supernatural powers, which is how they get their name. Stories are told of spirit bears leading lost children back to their homes and of guiding people to strange enchanted lands. We are not sure why the white coat persists or its exact origins, but some scientists speculate the spirit bear's white fur gives them an advantage over their black furred peers when it comes to fishing. Going back to Minnesota, hair samples that were taken from Halo showed that he was genetically different from white commode bears. Dr. Kermit Ritland, a University of British Columbia professor involved with genetic research of commode bears, wrote to the ABA at the time saying there is no question in my mind that the white color of Halo is genetically determined. Halo is definitely a white phase black bear. He went on to say the gene responsible for commodism is probably an ancient mutation which arose far before recent glaciations.
[00:17:16] There was fear that Halo may be killed during the 1997 bear hunting season. The difficult decision was taken to capture and confine Halo for the six week hunting period. He was released in good time to find a winter den. Halo's last confirmed sighting was in May 1998. He was captured by the DNR after complaints were received by residents of Black Duck Minnesota. Halo was reportedly eating the corn that had been put out by residents for the ducks. Halo was taken and released into the forest, where his ultimate fate remains unknown. With the majority of the sanctuary bears, we only know if they're still around when we actually see them or come back to the magic circle. We have had several blond or white cubs arrive at the Ventruti Wildlife Sanctuary. However, we can't really call these white bears. These bears often arrive in the spring, but as the seasons change, these coats become browner or more chocolate coloured. It does raise the question, was Halo also like this? Did he grow out of his white coat? Did he return and we just didn't realise? Or did he simply go off to pastures new?
[00:18:20] There have actually been other reported sightings of white furred bears in the US Midwest, as recent as the last couple of years.
[00:18:28] We may never know Halo's fate, but he will live on forever in the hearts and minds of those that met him in that unforgettable summer. The next big hitter I want to mention is a bear that was first spotted in the spring of 1999 and was estimated to be about 2, 3 years old at that time. This bear was at first shy and bashful, preferring the COVID of the trees before he slowly gained confidence and grew more comfortable. It's easy to understand his initial wariness and feelings of vulnerability when you consider that this was a North American black bear with three legs.
[00:18:59] Out of the hundreds of bears that have passed through the Vinscuti Wildlife Sanctuary, none have impacted on visitors as much as this bear, who after that summer in 1999, visited every subsequent year for 20 years.
[00:19:13] And one question people always ask without fail every year, is Schwinn back? Schwinn is a bear that has garnered legendary status. Schwinn was named affectionately after the brand of American tricycle. It has never been established how he actually lost his front leg. Common theories range from bear traps to a freak accident, but it never seemed to slow Schwinn down. He wrestled and played with the other younger males and was capable of holding his own. Schwinn never let the fact that he only had three legs hold him back. Even into his later years, he never shied away from standing up to any bears who tried to muscle in on the food he was eating. It was this tenacity that never failed to impress and inspire those lucky enough to observe him. His interactions with the other bears indicated he was quite dominant. For Schwinn to have made it for this long in the wild, he no doubt had to be adaptable and keep his wits about him. He only ever acted aggressively or defensively when he was forced to. Schwinn demonstrated tolerance to his fellow bears and humans while in the Magic Circle. We could never be sure of where Schwinn went when not on the Sanctuary property. So every year when he moved on to find a den, everyone was always rooting for him to make it through another winter. We always wondered as well what sort of den Schwinn would have made or had. Bears choose many different kinds of dens, including hollow trees under fallen trees, excavated mounds, or in nests under briar patches. And there are those news items you see about bears denning in people's barns or under their houses. Well, wherever Schwinn denned, the day he came back the next year was always a cause for celebration. Schwinn would arrive at the Sanctuary at the start of July and stay till mid September. He always enjoyed the food on offer. One of his favourite daily pastimes was basking in the sun. He assumed the Buddha position on his throne, AKA the woodchip pile, located in the center of the Magic Circle. He always made for the same spot and would casually sit himself upright, take a load off and enjoy viewing his domain. A calmness and stillness radiated from him as he observed his surroundings. When not on his throne, he could be found in the small creek nearby, using it to chill and cool down on a hot summer's day. He knew this was a safe area where he could comfortably be himself. Over the 2018 and 2019 seasons, staff and volunteers noticed how Schwinn struggled to get around. The weight that his sole front leg had had to bear was starting to take its toll. Schwinn's adaptability and endurance kept him going and he would be observed moving slowly around the Magic Circle. Suffice to say, 2019 was the last year that we saw Schwinn. Life for Schwinn mustn't have been very easy, but he always showed a strong spirit.
[00:21:37] The fact that he survived into his 20s is a lesson to us all about overcoming the odds and strength over adversity.
[00:21:44] Many people will have their own memories and stories of Schwinn, and he'll never quite know how much of an impression he made. He was truly a great ambassador for the species and showcased their best qualities. Nobody can begrudge us the idea that Schwinn is in his own Magic Circle with all four legs, enjoying some nuts and providing inspiration for eternity.
[00:22:06] On a personal note, when I First saw Schwinn sitting on the wood chip pile back in 2014. On my first visit, I was inspired to write a story about him. It was a short story about how Schwinn first came to sit in his favourite spot. For years it was a piece of paper held by a magnet on the front of the fridge in the sanctuary cookshack. Until I went ahead and paired the text together with photos and published it as a proper book called Schwinn and the Woodchip Pile. Some of the photographs are my own, but they have some stunning photos of Schwinn and other bears, kindly donated by Bill Lee, Malia Marquez and Ernie Page. All proceeds from the sale of the book go back to the sanctuary. It's my tribute to Schwinn. He was the bear that could.
[00:22:50] 15 to 20 years old is good going for a wild bear. And we have been fortunate enough to know several bears that have lived long past this age. Another bear from the 90s that made a name for herself was Biscuit.
[00:23:03] Now, there are several ways of spotting the difference between males and female black bears, aside from the obvious. Males are much larger, with bulkier bodies and bigger heads. Females are smaller and have longer, more slender faces.
[00:23:18] And females actually also have a small wisp of fur between their back legs, so you can see from behind. Thing about Biscuit was she had a very distinctive shape, so you always knew when she arrived she kind of had this sort of butterball shape, very round.
[00:23:33] She was actually born in 1989, which is also my birth year, a fact I've always quite enjoyed.
[00:23:40] She was a bit of a Marmite bear among volunteers, and as you'll get to hear and judge for yourself, Biscuit first came to the sanctuary when Vince was still around, and before the ABA was formed. Things were a bit looser at that time and a young Biscuit was allowed into the food shed. So the food shed is the building in the middle of the magic circle, where bear food is stored in buckets, which we then put out over the course of the day. Letting a bear in the food shed is something we would never allow. Now, after the ABA was formed, Biscuit was not allowed in, but she hadn't forgotten the times that she had been allowed in the food shed. So every time Biscuit came back, she would sit herself right down in front of the food shed door, effectively blocking the way out. I will stress that she only ever did this at the food shed and never at any of the other buildings. There are doors on either side of the food shed. So we did learn to work around this. You had to be careful when exiting the food shed, as if you hadn't checked she was there before opening the door, a little paw would reach around and whip the door open, as happened to myself on one occasion.
[00:24:53] The thing is, Biscuit was never aggressive or made a move to actually come in. It seemed as though she only wanted to be involved and see what was going on. She would refuse to move unless you brought her out something that was worth moving for, like peanuts in the shell or another favourite watermelon she had us trained. By 2014, Biscuit was well into her 20s and passed the age of cub rearing, or so we thought. As in 2016, she came in with two cubs. She was 27 and bear in mind, she was probably a great, great great grandmother to a lot of the bears that came to the Magic Circle. Caring for those two bears really seemed to take it out of her. And in 2017 she came back, but suddenly seemed very old. We did what we could for her, putting out plenty of good food for her, but that was the last year Biscuit came back. We are a hands off facility, so don't always know the exact ages of most bears, but the distinctive ones that come back every year and we can confidently make educated guesses. For instance, there was a bear dubbed the Brown Phantom, who we believe reached the age of 33 before he stopped visiting the sanctuary. It's always a thrill when you first spot a bear that has returned for another season. In May 2022, I happened to be the only one on the grounds familiar with the bears at the time. And I was in a truck driving down the dirt road to the Magic Circle when I saw a familiar bear on the right side of the road. I had to stop the car and do a double take, exclaiming, Peanut, is that you? And it was. She is a distinctive lady with a chocolatey swirly, peanutty fair coat and a slow, measured walk. One of the ABA founders, Karen, first met Peanut back in 1991 when she was a tiny yearling. In 1993, this bear was still pretty small, so Karen thought the name Peanut seemed appropriate and the name stuck. As of recording in 2024, Peanut is 34 years old and still going strong. Even referred to as the Queen of the Magic Circle, she has a female offspring called Cashew. Peanut and Cashew have been firm favourites among volunteers and visitors alike. So we'll definitely talk about them a lot more.
[00:27:06] There is a way of accurately determining a bear's age. Bear teeth have growth rings much like trees have, with each ring representing a year in the bear's life. So by counting the number of these growth rings, you can see how old they are. The oldest recorded wild black bear lived to be 39 and a half when she died of natural causes.
[00:27:28] Coincidentally, that bear happened to live in Minnesota. And I'll add, she wasn't a bear that ever visited the sanctuary. Known as bear number 56, she lived about 20 years longer than any other bear that was monitored in the state. She was fitted with a radio collar back in 1981 so her movements could be tracked. This segues nicely into next episode's topic. As previously stated, the sanctuary has a hands off policy with the bears, but we have conducted studies in recent years. Research that enhances our collective knowledge about black bears is encouraged. The ABA has radio collared several bears and this data has yielded some interesting results.
[00:28:12] I look forward to sharing them with you next time. Bye for now.
[00:28:17] The Bear Den the American Bear Association Podcast was written and presented by me, Philip Stubley. The opening credits theme was composed by React Music and the end credits by Night Drift. Thank you to everyone who has helped make this podcast possible, including Karen Hauserman, Bill Lee, Clarie Lee, Stephanie Horner, Donna Brzinka, Ross Coyer and Angie Page. You can find out more about the American Bear association at www.americanbear.org. you can find Vince Trudy Wildlife Sanctuary on Facebook and Instagram. You can ask questions and submit comments about the podcast to pswericmericanbear.org a lot of the information on the life of Vinciutti has come from the comprehensive book They're Not Mean, They're Just Hungry by Brian Galusha and the Volunteers of the Vinshooty Wildlife Sanctuary. This is available at the Sanctuary on Site gift shop or via the website.
[00:29:04] The ABA is a special circumstance. We do not condone feeding wild animals. If you enjoy this podcast, help support the ABA either by donating, becoming an ABA member, symbolically adopting a bear, or come visit the sanctuary during the season and say hello.
