The Official U.S. Maple Syrup Almanac 2014 2nd Edition | Page 84

with sugaring. Sometimes they broke into the sugar house to raid the trash for treats, but Ben didn’t want them to become nuisance bears raiding trash cans, so he quickly chased them out. The small pen Ben used for those first bears proved inadequate, as they soon broke out at will. He then enclosed an eight-acre wooded plot with a six-foot-high electrified chain link fence that kept the young ones in and predators out. Within that area, he built an elevated, dome-shaped den of branches and small trees to serve as a cozy, dry place for several bears to hibernate. Since those first cubs arrived 21 years ago, Ben Kilham has raised over 100 of the orphans, taking them for nearly daily walks seven to eight months of the year and serving as surrogate mother. By the time they reach the age of 18 months, when a mother bear would chase them off, they are fully capable of surviving on their own. Fish & Game workers Kilham raises three to five cubs each year, but in 2012-13, he raised 30 then release them to the wild, mostly in the Great North Woods of NH. On average, Ben raises three to five cubs each year, but in 2012-13, he raised 30. Most were from New Hampshire, but some came from Vermont and Massachusetts. “There are no licensed bear rehabilitators in those states, and I’m the only one in New Hampshire,” he said. “We had an unusually large number of cubs in 2012, mostly triplets. We had a good feeding year followed by a good breeding season, then a poor feeding year. Some inexperienced mothers abandoned their cubs in the fall when food was scarce, and others looked to restaurant dumpsters or back yards in search of food. Most of the cubs’ mothers were shot near chicken coops or bee hives, which is too bad, because all the owners had to do was put electric fencing around the coops and hives, smear it with bacon fat, and once the bears got zapped, they wouldn’t bother again.” Ben’s unique approach to raising bears and releasing them to the wild has been successful, where most earlier methods failed. Because he limits other human contact with his bears, they adapt readily to the wild and 800.935.7245 [email protected] KaplanMaple.com Stainless Steel Drums Glass Bottles Kaplan Maple Plastic Carboys is your source for Plastic Jugs everything maple! Evaporators 800.935.7245 RO’s Tubing & Mainline, Fittings Pu