The cubs were used as props and then dropped off by the exotic animal traders

At Yellowstone Bear World, vulnerable and curious cubs are used for bottle feeding and taken to crowded events to be used as props for tourist photographs. Despite knowing how dangerous it is for the cubs, the American Western Heritage Center and Young Automotive Group still plan to host and sponsor this offending travel during Animal Days from April 7-10 in Wellsville, Utah.

In nature, the cubs spend time playing, exploring and communicating with each other and with their mothers before two years… But in Yellowstone’s Bear World, cubs are torn away from their mothers within weeks of birth, and at a few months old are forced to be in close proximity to people they naturally avoid. Forced encounters with humans make the cubs feel trapped – a constant, never-ending stressor that can suppress their immune systems and interfere with cognitive development, leading to long-term psychological and probably physical problems as the cubs develop.

And what happens when the cubs get too big to be used for photo shoots? Records show that Yellowstone Bear World dropped them with the notorious “Joe Exotic” Tiger King and sent the cubs across the country, including one wholesaler in Illinois who it is known that they send bears to slaughter when they stop making a profit. Treating bears in this way is a blatant form of arrogance – discrimination based solely on species.

Please urge the American Western Heritage Center and Young Automotive Group to keep the cubs out of their upcoming event!