“Meatball” Becomes Heart of Colorado Lawsuit

Colorado sanctuary fighting to take in bear caught in Glendale

A wayward black bear caught in the Glendale hills is now at the heart of a legal battle between a Colorado wildlife sanctuary and the mountain state’s parks and wildlife department.

"Meatball," the bear with a penchant for junk food who's become a Southern California icon, was supposed to take permanent shelter at the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado.

However, a state law prohibits sanctuaries from taking in wild animals such as Meatball, who also went by Glen Bearian.

The hesitance in Colorado pushed wildlife rescuers at the Lions, Tigers and Bears sanctuary in San Diego County's Alpine to launch a campaign to build a permanent home for him.

The sanctuary, which had been holding Meatball before his anticipated transfer to Colorado, now hopes to raise enough money to build a permanent enclosure for the bear.

On Wednesday, the Colorado wildlife sanctuary announced it had filed a lawsuit against the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department and the Department of Natural Resources.

The sanctuary is asking a judge to intervene and issue a restraining order so the organization can attain Meatball, according to WAS Founder and Executive Director Pat Craig.

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"We know the [Lions Tigers and Bears Sanctuary] is building a habitat for Meatball, but that could take weeks, if not months," Craig said. "We’re doing this so that he can get into the facility we already have built for him."

Craig said the law banning Meatball from his sanctuary was written in 2005 in response to abuses at animal rehabilitation facilities. Years later, the department is interpreting the law differently, he said.

"It’s sad that Meatball got caught in their interpretation," Craig said.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife department could not comment on the pending litigation. But department spokesman Randy Hampton said changing the law for Meatball isn’t out of the question.

"Colorado has a process by which citizens who wish to change regulations can petition the Parks and Wildlife commission to do so," Hampton said.

Hampton added that the publicity swarming around Meatball’s destination is an important reminder of the respect owed to wild animals.

"We work very hard to educate our citizens to live responsibility, but unfortunately we’ve had to put down dozens of bears because people have failed to do so," he said. "We do hope this story sends the message so we don’t have more Meatballs in the future."

In the meantime, Meatball is adapting in Alpine, according to officials with the Lions, Tigers and Bears sanctuary. Poles to support his permanent enclosure were donated by San Diego Gas & Electric and the sanctuary is asking the public for help building a bedroom, enclosed outdoor area and perhaps a swimming pool.

"He is already settling down a bit and we have decided not to uproot this process and haul him across the country only to start the entire process all over again, which would add more stress to an already stressful situation," read a statement from Bobbi Brink, founder of Lions Tigers and Bears.
 

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