Askus3
12-12-2005, 20:05
Just curious, how many of you hiking the AT look into the bear compound at the Bear Mountain Zoo & Trailside Museum to see if there is a bear there? It is located on the AT in New York just before the crossing of the Hudson River. Here is an article in my local Times Herald-Record that I thought I'd share.
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Bear Mountain - Two cuddly cinnamon-colored bear cubs might have cost one woman her job.
Jennifer Verstraete spent 14 years caring for animals as head zookeeper at the Trailside Museum and Zoo at Bear Mountain but was fired, she says, for introducing two bear cubs to the park.
Verstraete used her summer vacation in July to rescue the cubs from an illegal breeding operation. Thinking she would return to the zoo to do what she'd always done - helping new animals adjust to their new surroundings - she instead was greeted with a suspension.
Verstraete said zoo officials cited insubordination for her suspension. But in the past she said she never had to get permission to bring a new animal to the zoo.
In fact, a job review letter written by former Trailside Museum and Zoo director Jack Focht lists animal acquisitions as one of Verstraete's responsibilities.
Three months after being suspended, she was fired.
"I was terminated without the possibility of ever being able to work there again," Verstraete said.
She believes the real reason she was fired was because the zoo was not ready to make a 30-year commitment to take care of the bears.
"They kept the bears and I couldn't be happier for their safety and health. But they have a home. I got fired and now the zoo is making money off of this."
The zoo had no comment.
Verstraete said she brought the bears to the zoo because she and park patrons felt that the Bear Mountain Zoo's current black bear, known as "The Rebel," needed company
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Maybe there is more between the lines, but I thought I'd share this tidbit.
__________________________________________________ __________
Bear Mountain - Two cuddly cinnamon-colored bear cubs might have cost one woman her job.
Jennifer Verstraete spent 14 years caring for animals as head zookeeper at the Trailside Museum and Zoo at Bear Mountain but was fired, she says, for introducing two bear cubs to the park.
Verstraete used her summer vacation in July to rescue the cubs from an illegal breeding operation. Thinking she would return to the zoo to do what she'd always done - helping new animals adjust to their new surroundings - she instead was greeted with a suspension.
Verstraete said zoo officials cited insubordination for her suspension. But in the past she said she never had to get permission to bring a new animal to the zoo.
In fact, a job review letter written by former Trailside Museum and Zoo director Jack Focht lists animal acquisitions as one of Verstraete's responsibilities.
Three months after being suspended, she was fired.
"I was terminated without the possibility of ever being able to work there again," Verstraete said.
She believes the real reason she was fired was because the zoo was not ready to make a 30-year commitment to take care of the bears.
"They kept the bears and I couldn't be happier for their safety and health. But they have a home. I got fired and now the zoo is making money off of this."
The zoo had no comment.
Verstraete said she brought the bears to the zoo because she and park patrons felt that the Bear Mountain Zoo's current black bear, known as "The Rebel," needed company
__________________________________________________ _________
Maybe there is more between the lines, but I thought I'd share this tidbit.