(AP Photo/Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Tricia Hebdon)

Boo Boo is a 4 month old bear cub found in Idaho with second degree burns on his four paws. He was orphaned by the Mustang forest fire there. He was rescued by fire fighters, then cared for by Idaho Department of Fish and Game veterinarian Dr. Mark Drew. Boo Boo then received further burn treatment at the Idaho Humane Society. After stabilizing him and treating him for several days, Idaho Humane transferred him to Snowdon Wildlife Sanctuary,

You can follow Boo Boo’s progress, and donate to help him, here: http://www.snowdonwildlife.org/. Dr. Drew, The Idaho Humane Society Idaho, and the Snowdon Wildlife Sanctuary have all done wonderful work and put forth a very commendable effort to help Boo Boo. The plan is rehabilitate Boo Boo and release him back into the wild.

This is a wonderful plan unless Boo Boo is released in one of the following eight states: Idaho, Alaska, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

You see, these states all allow hunter to put out food to attract bears so that the hunters can then kill them. This is called “bear baiting.” Hunters usually do this in the spring, as bears are emerging from hibernation and are very hungry. It is more like a “canned hunt” than actual hunting and requires no skills. It is also very unsportsmanlike. Notice that Idaho is one of the states that allow "bear baiting".

If Boo Boo is released in Idaho he is likely to be shot to death next spring during a "hunt" using food to lure him to his death.

This petition asks that Boo Boo be released back into the wild in a state that does not allow the unfair, unsportsmanlike practice of bear baiting. Neither Washington nor Oregon allow bear baiting, and are close by.

Links