#oswalds bear ranch

Oswald’s Bear Ranch, Newberry, MI

Today I had to chance to go see over two dozen rescued black bears up close. The non-profit ranch started out in the 80’s when the owner rescued one cub and opened to the public in the late 90’s. A lot of the bears are rescued and brought in by the DNR after their mother’s are killed, but even sadder, a lot of them are dumped at age one or two after irresponsible “pet owners” decide they can no longer handle the naturally wild animals. The ranch serves to educate the public and raise money for food and equipment. The bears live in huge fenced in area’s and live as naturally as possible even though they’ve grown dependent and can’t be acclimated back into the wild. If there’s one thing I’ve learned today, it’s that cubs love to climb and play and adults are slow moving berry pickers. If you ever get the chance, check this place out!