Photo by Christopher Ives

Humble Bumble

Species: Brown Bear
Born: January 2001

Born at a roadside zoo that was closing down, Humble showed neurological problems similar to humans with developmental disabilities, including problems with motor skills and reduced natural instincts. No one wanted to take him, but Earthfire saw his inherent sweetness and childlike innocence and brought him home. A social creature, we call him our specially abled bear because he charms everyone who meets him. He likes to speed eat all types of berries, especially chokecherries.

Photos of Humble Bumble

Stories About Humble Bumble

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.

White bison eating hay

Snapshots of Earthfire

Earthfire Institute November 19, 2019

Between getting ready for winter and speaking at a variety of events, we’ve been especially busy lately. But Dante Rios, our animal caretaker, has been delighting us with beautiful pictures of our animal residents. Please enjoy! (Click to enlarge)

Grizzly bear splashing in water

Bramble Bear Can Be a Bit of a Brat

Susan B. Eirich, PhD January 9, 2019

Bramble the grizzly bear can be a bit of a brat—except in this incident, it was also so cute. We hold many types of retreats here, from conservation to artistic to spiritual, in keeping with the belief that Life is not simple and we need all perspectives to help us

Face of a young grizzly bear

An ADHD Bear and His Pineapple

Susan B. Eirich, PhD November 8, 2018

I offered Teton a slice of fresh pineapple. He looked at it with disdain. Didn’t bother to even sniff it, just walked away. Stately. He is a mango and pear sort of bear. Humble Bumble, on the other hand, got that special look in his eye as he saw his

White bison eating hay

Snapshots of Earthfire

Earthfire Institute November 19, 2019

Between getting ready for winter and speaking at a variety of events, we’ve been especially busy lately. But Dante Rios, our animal caretaker, has been delighting us with beautiful pictures of our animal residents. Please enjoy! (Click to enlarge)

Grizzly bear splashing in water

Bramble Bear Can Be a Bit of a Brat

Susan B. Eirich, PhD January 9, 2019

Bramble the grizzly bear can be a bit of a brat—except in this incident, it was also so cute. We hold many types of retreats here, from conservation to artistic to spiritual, in keeping with the belief that Life is not simple and we need all perspectives to help us

Face of a young grizzly bear

An ADHD Bear and His Pineapple

Susan B. Eirich, PhD November 8, 2018

I offered Teton a slice of fresh pineapple. He looked at it with disdain. Didn’t bother to even sniff it, just walked away. Stately. He is a mango and pear sort of bear. Humble Bumble, on the other hand, got that special look in his eye as he saw his

Meet Luna Luna is a wolf with remarkable intellig

Meet Luna
Luna is a wolf with remarkable intelligence, speed and agility- traits passed down from mother Destiny. When she isn’t swiping bones, sticks, and chicken legs from her siblings, you will often find her in deep contemplation of staff members and other resident wildlife. She is wary of humans, preferring the company of sister Sun'aq and brother Sikanni, though she will bounce around and play with caretakers during her time in the wolf garden. It is wise to keep your guard up when spending time with our guileful girl, as one of her favorite pastimes is the thievery of caretaker radios, or anything she can snag from unsuspecting pockets.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#Luna #playful #Wolf #Wolves #WildlifeSanctuary #EarthfireInstitute #TetonValley #FlourishingHabitatsForAllLife

Earthfire Institute would like to extend our heart

Earthfire Institute would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the generous donors who participated in this year's Tin Cup Challenge. Your contributions are so vital to preserving this sanctuary for the well-being of both present and future generations of the animals.

Every year, Tin Cup celebrates the incredible commitment our community makes to elevating lives in Teton Valley through the power of generosity. This year’s total amount raised over $2.8 million from over 5,500 designated gifts. In 16 years, the Tin Cup Challenge has raised over $23.6 million to benefit Teton Valley’s nonprofit community. Thank you for your efforts in its success and to all those who make this possible!
.
.
.
.
.
.
#ThankYou #TinCupChallenge2023 #TetonValley #NonProfits #Community #generosity #EarthfireInstitute #WildlifeSanctuary #FlourishingHabitatsForAllLife

Three years ago, we came across a website that use

Three years ago, we came across a website that uses old firehoses to make enrichment items for captive wildlife. After a successful hammock build for Bramble, we eagerly attempted our second hammock, but this time it was for our Grizzly Bear, Teton Totem. Teton was confused at first, but ending up loving his hammock. Thank you to the City of Boise Fire Department for donating multiple pallets of old firehoses to the cause!
.
.
.
.
.
#TetonTotem #GrizzlyBear #FireHoseHammock #CityOfBoise #Donation #ThankYou #Hammock #EarthfireInstitute #WildlifeSanctuary #FlourishingHabitatsForAllLife #TetonValley #Idaho

Meet Obi (Wolf Kenobi), born in April of 2021. Al

Meet Obi (Wolf Kenobi), born in April of 2021. Although Obi is no Jedi Master, he is a master comedian. When he isn’t busy sliding around his enclosure with the help of ice blocks or expertly evading caretakers by playfully rolling away, he enjoys bouncing around the garden and tossing sticks in the air. He is the most vocal of our puppy pack, grumbling when he is craving the attention of staff or when he feels he isn’t receiving the affection he most certainly deserves. Fortunately for Obi, we are always ready to deliver scratches to his belly, chin and armpits- his favorite spots!
.
.
.
.
.
#Obi #Wolf #WolfKenobi #bellyscratches #wolfpuppy #WildlifeSanctuary #EarthfireInstitute #FlourishingHabitatsForAllLife #TetonValley

Many of you were responsive to our recent rehab in

Many of you were responsive to our recent rehab intakes, the woodrats, so we thought we would update you on their progress. After several days in our care to ensure they were recovered and fully weaned, we successfully soft released them last week. Live Wild little ones!
.
.
.
.
.
#Rehab #Woodrats #BabyRats #RescuedFromGlueTraps #RehabIntake #Rehabilitation #Wildlife #EarthfireInstitute #WildlifeSanctuary #FlourishingHabitatsForAllLife #TetonValley

Two years ago this week, the wolf puppies got thei

Two years ago this week, the wolf puppies got their very first rib bone to chew on. Pictured here, left to right, are Obi, Akela, and Kaya sharing a bone. Times have certainly changed because now they love to steal each other’s bones rather than sharing them.
.
.
.
.
.
#ThrowbackThursday #WolfPups #Obi #Akela #Kaya #EarthfireInstitute #WildlifeSanctuary #FlourishingHabitatsForAllLife #TetonValley

Meet Sikanni! Sikanni is the largest of his siblin

Meet Sikanni!
Sikanni is the largest of his siblings, but lacks grace in most scenarios. During his early puppyhood, he received the affectionate nickname “Flop, not only due to him having floppy ears the first several months after he was born but because of his endearing clumsiness- something Sikanni has carried with him to this day. Like sisters Luna and Sun’aq, earning his trust is a feat. He does not enjoy physical affection but takes great pleasure training with caretakers in the garden, chasing snowballs and wrestling with Uncle Promise.
.
.
.
.
.
#Sikanni #Flop #Wolf #WolfBrother #EarthfireInstitute #WildlifeSanctuary #Tetonia #FlourishingHabitatsForAllLife

At the end of last week, we received a call from a

At the end of last week, we received a call from a woman who found (what she thought to be) two baby mice stuck to a glue trap. She was horrified that her new property manager would set glue traps in her home, so she immediately threw all of them away and started her rescue of the babies by warming olive oil and using a Qtip to gently separate the mice from the glue. They looked weak and struggled to take water from her, so we told her to bring them to us and we would rehabilitate them for later release back into the wild. When she arrived, lo and behold, they were not mice, but rather… cute little rats.

Please do not use glue traps. They are one of the most inhumane methods of removing mice and other rodents from your home. Since all Life is sacred to us at Earthfire, our preferred method is using live traps to relocate them.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#EarthfireInstitute #WildlifeSanctuary #Rebab #BabyRats #FlourishingHabitatsForAllLife #Tetonia

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

Press Inquiries

Employment Inquiries