Noted Bear Expert Comes to Fayetteville to Plead in Behalf of Bear in Roadside Zoo

Else Poulsen Will Call On Commissioners to Apply Cumberland County Law to Jambbas Ranch

For Immediate Release:
April 18, 2011 

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Fayetteville, N.C. — In response to the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners' attempt to exempt Jambbas Ranch Tours from laws prohibiting the keeping of bears and other exotic animals—thus permitting the facility to keep a lone bear named Ben constantly confined to a tiny pen made of concrete and chain-link fencing—Canadian bear expert Else Poulsen has flown to Fayetteville to join PETA and community members in calling on the commissioners to uphold the law and protect Ben from further suffering. Poulsen will address the commissioners at their meeting:

When:              Monday, April 18, 6:45 p.m.

Where:             Cumberland County Courthouse, Rm. 118, 117 Dick St., Fayetteville

"Instead of enforcing the law, Cumberland County commissioners have bowed to a criminal defendant's request for special treatment," says PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "Ben should be moved to a sanctuary where he'll receive the care that he needs—not be left to languish in a barren cage because authorities changed the laws to suit the lawbreakers."

Poulsen has more than 25 years of experience caring for bears in zoos and sanctuaries and has authored more than 40 publications on bear behavior. After visiting Ben on Sunday, she determined that Ben "exhibited serious stress responses, such as relentless pacing and head swinging, likely brought on by living on a barren concrete slab that measures approximately 12 feet by 22 feet." Noting that Ben had only a ball to manipulate, Poulsen observed, "Ben suffers from serious sensory deprivation." In addition, his incessant pacing on concrete puts him at risk for osteoarthritis, footpad lesions, cracked footpads, and other conditions.

In January, charges were filed against Jambbas owner James Bass for violating a county ordinance prohibiting the keeping of exotic animals, but Bass' appeal to the county commissioners resulted in the law being changed without public notice or discussion. County residents and PETA are calling on commissioners to repeal the amendment and afford an opportunity for public comment. They are also asking that Ben—along with a raccoon, a fox, and an alligator at the facility—be sent to reputable sanctuaries that PETA has lined up.

For more information, please visit PETA.org or click here to view video footage of Ben.