Photo by Christopher Ives

Huckleberry Bear Bear

Species: Black Bear
Lived: 1997-2021

Huckleberry Bear Bear came to Earthfire in 1997 from a private owner who realized that as cute as he was as a cub, she couldn’t keep him as a pet once he started to grow. A very emotional bear, he grieved for a long time when he lost his brother, Major Bear. He lived to be a luxuriously zaftig senior bear who took his pre-hibernation foraging (and berry pies) seriously. His favorite foods were grapes and cherry pie, with lots of homemade whipped cream.

Photos of Huckleberry Bear Bear

Stories About Huckleberry Bear Bear

Note: Many of our posts are collections of stories about multiple animals at Earthfire. The animal you’re looking for may not be shown in these post previews, but each post does contain a relevant story.

Woman feeds an orphaned vole with a syringe

A Vole, A Bear, and a Berry Pie

Susan B. Eirich, PhD August 30, 2021

The Vole It’s true that we serve bears, wolves, and other large, dramatic animals that capture our imagination. But from an ethical perspective, Life is owed a deep respect regardless of size because anything with the breath of life is an absolute miracle. Even from a practical perspective, size doesn’t

Fox standing on a log

Foxes on the Run

Dawn Harrison August 6, 2019

Foxes Sprite and Ghost got to enjoy some beautiful weather while stretching their legs in one of the animal gardens. Ghost took his cues from his elder at most turns, many times with a look that seemed to say “Wait for me!” But when he decided to go swimming, he

Large salad with lettuce, carrots, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, and ranch dressing

Salmon and Salad Fit for a Bear

Dawn Harrison and Susan B. Eirich, PhD June 19, 2019

We received a donation of 30 pounds of organic meat and salmon, much to the delight of the animals. I felt bad for the couple whose freezer decided to stop working, but I was hard-pressed to stay sad after seeing the joy that it brought to certain individuals on property.

Black Bear resting behind a large rock

Huckleberry Bear Bear Steals a Hose

Susan B. Eirich, PhD April 30, 2019

Huckleberry Bear Bear is quite elderly now, so foolishly, we trusted him. We wash the bear enclosures with a powerful hose, which is an object of great interest for the bears. (Ramble the grizzly snares one with some regularity and seems to find a thrill in the upset caused by

Woman feeds an orphaned vole with a syringe

A Vole, A Bear, and a Berry Pie

Susan B. Eirich, PhD August 30, 2021

The Vole It’s true that we serve bears, wolves, and other large, dramatic animals that capture our imagination. But from an ethical perspective, Life is owed a deep respect regardless of size because anything with the breath of life is an absolute miracle. Even from a practical perspective, size doesn’t

Fox standing on a log

Foxes on the Run

Dawn Harrison August 6, 2019

Foxes Sprite and Ghost got to enjoy some beautiful weather while stretching their legs in one of the animal gardens. Ghost took his cues from his elder at most turns, many times with a look that seemed to say “Wait for me!” But when he decided to go swimming, he

Large salad with lettuce, carrots, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, and ranch dressing

Salmon and Salad Fit for a Bear

Dawn Harrison and Susan B. Eirich, PhD June 19, 2019

We received a donation of 30 pounds of organic meat and salmon, much to the delight of the animals. I felt bad for the couple whose freezer decided to stop working, but I was hard-pressed to stay sad after seeing the joy that it brought to certain individuals on property.

Black Bear resting behind a large rock

Huckleberry Bear Bear Steals a Hose

Susan B. Eirich, PhD April 30, 2019

Huckleberry Bear Bear is quite elderly now, so foolishly, we trusted him. We wash the bear enclosures with a powerful hose, which is an object of great interest for the bears. (Ramble the grizzly snares one with some regularity and seems to find a thrill in the upset caused by

It's Giving Tuesday, and at Earthfire Institute we

It's Giving Tuesday, and at Earthfire Institute we believe in the gift of reciprocity. We want to show our supporters how much we appreciate you, so we're offering not one, but TWO ways to win a signed copy of Founder and Executive Director, Susan B. Eirich's new book, Whispers from the Wild: An Invitation.

Ways to enter:
-Donate to Earthfire Institute on Facebook. Donations received through Facebook on Giving Tuesday are 100% matched by Meta, so we encourage those of you with Facebook to donate that way. Simply click on the blue donate button on our Facebook page. You are also welcome to donate directly through our website. The largest donation will receive a signed copy of Susan's new book, Whispers from the Wild: An Invitation.

-Start your own Facebook fundraiser for on behalf of Earthfire Institute on Giving Tuesday. To learn how, follow this link: https://www.facebook.com/help/990087377765844

The animals under our care are the heartbeat of our mission. When we begin to see the individuality of each bear or wolf or fox, it changes the way we think about other living beings. Their stories give voice to the voiceless, reunite us with what is precious, and remind us all Life is not only interconnected, but has its own inherent value, and we are part of it.
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#GivingTuesday #EarthfireInstitute #WildlifeSanctuary #ReconnectionEcology

Happy 12th Birthday Tahi! Tahi is a petite mount

Happy 12th Birthday Tahi!

Tahi is a petite mountain lion who retains her natural shyness and catlike curiosity. Before her rescue at the early age of 9 weeks old, she was found in abysmal conditions and was malnourished upon arrival at Earthfire. Luckily, she received the care and nutrition she needed to recuperate and grow into a healthy adult. Tahi gets the zoomies pretty often, dashing around the trees and peeking from hidey-holes in her garden. She delights in fresh trout, grabbing the fish by the head and running into her shelter so no one can steal it.

#tahi #cougar #EarthfireInstitute #WildlifeSanctuary #FlourishingHabitatsForAllLife

Happy Howl-O-Ween! Pumpkin season is a fan favor

Happy Howl-O-Ween!

Pumpkin season is a fan favorite for the furry residents here at the sanctuary! Not only are these squashes a powerhouse of nutritional benefits for animals and humans alike, but they provide an excellent opportunity for novel enrichment. Our animal caretakers carve and gut the pumpkins before stuffing them with an assortment of meats, veggies and fruits. The animals take utmost pleasure in ripping apart the pumpkins before partaking in the tasty morsels nestled inside. Our foxes were more than pleased to devour the pumpkins, alongside the treats; the bears on the other hand were nimble and gentle when it came to finessing the goods from their pumpkin prison.
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#Halloween #Enrichment #Pumpkins #EarthfireInstitute #WildlifeSanctuary #FlourishingHabitatsForAllLife #Nature #Foxes #Wolves #Bears #Fox

We are thrilled to announce that Susan’s book Wh

We are thrilled to announce that Susan’s book Whisper From The Wild: An Invitation is now available to purchase as a Hardcover or Paperback on Amazon. In a few short weeks, an Ebook version will also be available on Amazon.

Get your copy here: https://rb.gy/il9kl
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#WhispersFromTheWild #AnInvitation #StoriesFromTheRescuedWildAnimals #EarthfireInstitute #WildlifeSanctuary #Amazon

After over 12 years in the making, we are thrilled

After over 12 years in the making, we are thrilled to announce that Whispers from the Wild: An Invitation is ready for release. In honor of this, we invite you to join us tonight for a virtual book launch, where Susan will conduct a live reading from her book and invite questions about the stories from attendees.

Please register here if you are able to attend:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Sp0Y3V4ORRmCgzSJ4FFJ7g#/registration?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=b993fb74-751b-427c-8074-f26701b312fa

Hibernation Preparations One of our annual Autumn

Hibernation Preparations

One of our annual Autumn projects is raking up dry leaves to offer the bears for their hibernation bedding. We provide each bear multiple piles of dry hay and leaves, which they methodically pull into their dens, based on their individual styles. After several days of the caretakers providing additional piles of hay and leaves, their beds are finally “just right” for hibernating.

We have raked up all of the leaves we need for this year, but we won’t offer it to the bears for another couple of weeks yet, typically around November 5 - 10. These photos were captured during Teton Totem’s final bedding preparation in November of 2021, before his physical form left us the following year.
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#Hibernation #Bears #Bramble #Ramble #EarthfireInstitute #WildlifeSanctuary #FlourishingHabitatsForAllLife

On Wednesday, October 25th, we are hosting a virtu

On Wednesday, October 25th, we are hosting a virtual book launch for Susan, where she will conduct a live reading from Whispers from the Wild and invite questions about the stories from attendees.

We would love to have you join us on this special occasion. Please register here if you are able to attend:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Sp0Y3V4ORRmCgzSJ4FFJ7g#/registration?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=b993fb74-751b-427c-8074-f26701b312fa
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#WhispersFromTheWild #AnInvitation #StorySharing #Nature #Life #ReconnectionEcology #SusanBEirich #FlourishingHabitatsForAllLife

There is never a dull moment here at Earthfire Ins

There is never a dull moment here at Earthfire Institute. We recently had two young squirrels, likely ten weeks old, surrendered to the sanctuary after they were discovered fallen from their nest with no mom anywhere to be found.

Fortunately, both babies were unharmed, lively and overall appeared to be in good health thanks to the loving care of the ladies who rescued them and drove 2.5 hours each way to bring them to us. Although the squirrels aren’t keen on giving up their formula, preferring a syringe or two of the warm fluid first thing in the chilly October mornings, we are slowly weaning them off of said milk and attempting to feed solely solid foods. We are happy to report that they are climbing, foraging, stashing, and have expertly crafted a den for themselves out of hay. We suspect they should be ready for soft release in a couple of weeks.
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#Rehabilitation #Squirrels #EarthfireInstitute #WildlifeSanctuary #DonorSupported #Thankyou #Partnership #FourishingHabitatsForAllLife #ReconnectionEcology #Life

Help us heal our connection with wildlife and nature.

Our website presents an aspect of relating to wild animals that many of us don’t realize is possible. We believe that all Life is deeply interconnected and we have much to learn from each other through meaningful, guided interaction led by professional animal handlers. Authentic reconnection results in action to protect wildlands and wild beings.

Earthfire Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. EIN 82-0525968

Contact Us

P.O. Box 368

Driggs, Idaho 83422

Phone/Fax: 208-456-0926

office@earthfireinstitute.org

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