Bear cub's death at farm sparks debate over animals on display
The death of a black bear cub at Goebbert's Farm in South Barrington last Saturday has reignited an old debate over whether animals should be put on display for entertainment purposes.
The bear cub was part of an exhibit for Goebbert's fall festival, and was brought in and cared for by Wisconsin Dells' Timbavati Wildlife Park. After the bear collapsed in its cage over the weekend, workers from Timbavati took it to a veterinarian where a necropsy — an autopsy for an animal — was performed.
Doctors found no signs of brain, heart or liver damage, said Holly Danielson, a manager at the Goebbert farm.
Since the bear died, hundreds of people have commented on Goebbert's Facebook page, most asking the farm to stop bringing the animals in for entertainment.
Elk Grove Village resident Rachel Carrell started a petition on Change.org asking Goebbert's to “stop exploiting exotic animals” has garnered more than 1,000 signatures since it was created Wednesday.
“The weather, the conditions, the space for the animals, it's all wrong,” Carrell said.
John Tomasiewicz of Elgin said he's been going to Goebbert's since the '80s, first with his daughter, and now with his granddaughter. He said he doesn't believe Goebbert's should be blamed for the cub's death.
“I think the trainer should have been aware of the cub's health,” he said. “I think people should back off Goebbert's — it's a nice family and a wonderful business.”
Tomasiewicz said the festival is a great opportunity for kids to learn about exotic animals.
“There's a lot of kids who can't afford the opportunity to go to a zoo on a regular basis,” he said. “This is the only opportunity they have to see these animals.”
Carrell says she doesn't think people should learn about wildlife at the animals' expense.
“The only thing you will learn about that animal is what they look like. It's not their natural habitat,” she said.
Cara Fry of Elgin said the animals, including giraffes, were at the farm solely for entertainment, and that while bears aren't exotic animals, per se, they don't belong on farms.
She said the temporary habitats at farms like Goebbert's don't adequately address the space, stimulation or socialization needs of the animals.
“It certainly doesn't help the situation that children were there as it happened, but I think the outcry is because the death underscores a long-standing animal rights issue,” Fry said.
While the farm hasn't said if it will change its policy, Danielson has said the farm will “take all feedback into consideration.”
And what makes the death of a bear cub more tragic than that of a typical farm animal?
Goats and rabbits are perceived by society as food or working animals that are replaceable, Fry said.
“Bears, though hunted as food, are viewed as strong, wild, majestic animals,” she said. “To see one die feels like losing something really special.”