The 20-month-old cubs have made themselves right at home in their 22-acre habitat by discovering their favourite sleeping area, a preferred bathing pond and by feasting everyday on wild vegetation, fresh fish and other delicacies. In preparation for hibernation in the winter months, Cari and Boo have also begun familiarizing themselves with their winter den - a three-by-five metre log structure.

"Everything we learn from these growing cubs will help our Refuge staff and the research community to develop proper protocol for the rehabilitation and eventual release of future orphaned grizzly cubs back into the wild," said Dr. Ken Macquisten, veterinarian and Director of the Refuge. "In this classroom, Cari and Boo are the teachers and we are the students."

Presently, there is no protocol in British Columbia that addresses the rehabilitation of orphaned grizzly bear cubs. The only alternative to captivity has been destruction.

Committed to fostering the educational component of the Kicking Horse Grizzly Bear Refuge, an interpretive program has been launched to teach the public about the grizzly bear. Interpretive talks are held daily at the Refuge between 9:30 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday to Thursday, and 9:30 AM to 8:30 PM, Friday to Sunday. Since the cubs enjoy their afternoon nap out of view, no tours are scheduled between noon and 2:30 PM.

To visit the Refuge by shuttle and participate in the interpretive program, guests pay a nominal fee in addition to their choice of a gondola pass or sky lunch. Shuttle service runs from the Day Lodge. To simply capture a bird's-eye view of the Refuge from up above, guests can do so on every gondola ride. The Refuge is open for the remainder of the summer until September 1st, 2003.

Cari and Boo are orphans who were relocated to the Kicking Horse Grizzly Bear Refuge on July 8th, 2003, from the Grouse Mountain Refuge of Endangered Wildlife. They are championing the second phase of a rehabilitation project that was spearheaded in 2001. Cari and Boo were originally rescued by the Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife in June 2002 after their mother was illegally shot and killed near
Wells, B.C.

Grizzly bears are currently considered a blue-listed endangered species in British Columbia.

Established in June 2003, the Kicking Horse Grizzly Bear Refuge is a conservation, education and research centre, committed to becoming a world leader in the preservation of grizzly bears. The Refuge is
located 2.5 hours west of Calgary on the Trans Canada Highway at Golden, British Columbia. For more information, visit www.kickinghorseresort.com.