MONTGOMERY, TX – Did you know there are 1,000 bears living in substandard conditions in residential backyards as pets or roadside attractions, and in need of purchased placement in the exotic pet trade? Many pet stores across the country, housing large exotic animals and wildlife, have closed due to lack of funding (due to COVID). This leads to lack of proper care and neglect. Bears can consume over 40 pounds of fruits and vegetables as well as fish, nuts, insects and other animals (including feral piglets) per day as they prepare to hibernate during the winter months, even in captivity.

Many people don’t realize that you can buy a bear cub from a breeder for $500 and have it as a pet in your home. Currently, there are exotic pet sales going on north of Huntsville and at exotic pet stores in the Greater Houston area selling bears, tigers, lemurs and other wildlife that only require low-cost permits. cost to have at your residence.

It’s the same with tigers (as low as $1000) and many other wild exotic animals. Bears, tigers and monkeys are raised for profit in this country, including in Texas. All animal rescue sanctuaries remain full and there is always a need for additional large neglected animals. The alternative to sanctuary is euthanasia. Bears Etc. is the ONLY Exotic Animal Rescue in Southeast Texas!

The mission of Bears, Etc. is to establish a Bear and Exotic Animal Rescue Sanctuary in Montgomery County, connecting people to nature through education and awareness. The hope is to build the nation’s first state-of-the-art bear sanctuary, providing a safe haven for neglected, abused and unwanted bears that are part of the exotic pet trade. The sanctuary would provide a permanent refuge for exotic animals moved, bred in captivity, kept as “pets” or retired from the scene.

Advertisement

Bears Etc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2017 by Kati and Ambrose Krouse to “Leave the world better than they found it by giving animals and people a PEACE of nature!”

Kati Krouse rescues exotic animals, especially bears, from the exotic pet trade and educates the public by connecting people with nature. The organization exists to provide a permanent, community-based, self-sustaining refuge for displaced exotic and wild animals and to educate others about the natural world. Kati often speaks to civic organizations, clubs, scouts and schools to educate the community about wildlife, exotic animals and of course bears etc. Ambrose and Kati also attend many local events to share information about bears etc.

Kati and Ambrose are both members of the Texas Black Bear Alliance, where Kati was appointed to the board of directors, promoting the restoration of black bears to suitable habitats across Texas through cooperative partnerships using education, habitat research and management.

Bears Etc. is a full-time operation, but until it’s fully functional, Kati supplements her income as a professional groomer, pet sitter, and dog trainer while Ambrose works in air conditioning and heating. They also help local dog rescues by fostering (especially bottle-fed baby puppies), assisting with vet tech work, and grooming foster dogs. Kati has rescued parakeets, found homes for dogs, tigers, parrots, wolves/wolf dogs, monkeys and occasionally alligators.

Advertisement

“The exotic pet trade is a $15 billion a year industry in the United States,” Kati said. “The illegal trade in exotic animals is second only to drugs, surpassing illegal weapons in recent years. There is no real bear sanctuary focused on bears in the exotic pet trade in the United States. In 2010, the Houston SPCA transported a bear to a sanctuary in Romania after being unable to find a placement for it in the United States. Bears Etc. is a solution for captive bears that need to be placed.

“We expect the Bear Sanctuary to attract up to 50,000 visitors per year,” Kati continued. “This will be a huge benefit to the hospitality, restaurant and hotel industries in our community. As a member of the Montgomery Area Chamber (President 2022) and the Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce (Diplomat), I know the impact the tourist attraction can help local businesses from this unusual tourist location .

What can you do? Be part of the Solution!

The annual Bear Crawl takes place on Saturday April 23 and Sunday April 24 from noon to 6:00 p.m. with wine, beer and whiskey tasting in the county! Enjoy tasting spirits from eight local venues, representing eight species of bears – Whitley Vineyards (Montgomery), Blue Epiphany (Conroe), The Ferm Meadery (Conroe), Southern Star Brewery (Conroe), Frankenboltzzzz Brewing Company (Montgomery) , B-52 Brewery (Conroe), Bartlett’s Distillery (Conroe) and H-Wines (Montgomery). Buy tickets online via the website: www.bearsetc.org/event/bear-crawl-2022 or visit any of the participating sites during the event to register. Tickets are $50 per person, and each attendee will receive a souvenir glass, passport, and wristband to begin their two tastings at any location. (Sunday only for Whitley Vineyards and Saturday only for Bartlett’s Distillery).

Advertisement

The funds will help secure property for a Bear and Exotic Animal Rescue Sanctuary to provide a permanent, community-based, self-sustaining refuge for displaced exotic and wild animals and to educate others about the natural world. The sanctuary will include tigers, cougars and bobcats and will allow the animals to live in natural habitat for the rest of their lives and give them their own PEACE from nature. bears, etc. raised $102,000 through its fundraising campaign for a deposit on 20 acres with a goal of $200,000.

“We are in our 5th year as a nonprofit and are thrilled to see how far we’ve come,” said Kati Krouse, Executive Director, Bears, Etc. We’ve helped over 100 exotic animals find placements (including 8 bears)! We can’t wait to get our much needed 20 acres so we can start providing permanent placement for bears and other large exotics (like tigers) and attract more tourists and people to our community! »

Learn more about Bears ETC by visiting their website www.bearsetc.org or at [email protected]

Advertisement