5 days ago
Grouse Mountain grizzlies to celebrate birthday with fundraising party
This photo shows Grinder and Coola, two grizzly bears, celebrating their 21st birthday in North Vancouver, B.C. (Image credit: Facebook/grousemountain)
Grouse Mountain's two resident grizzly bears are turning 24 this month and the North Vancouver resort is celebrating with an event designed to raise funds and awareness for the B.C. bruin.
The day-long shindig will see orphaned grizzlies Grinder and Coola celebrated via a plethora of family-friendly events, including the resort's annual cake smash and a live performance from the Squamish Nation (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw) children's group the Proud Little Warriors. The group's Grizzly Bear Song, a traditional Squamish song inspired by the nation's connection to nature and to the bears themselves, provides an opportunity for education for visitors, alongside other programs that delve into grizzly and bear conservation facts.
Also in the line-up are enhanced Ranger Talks, a craft station, a scavenger hunt and face painting.
The event, dubbed the 'Bear-thday Fun-draiser,' will help raise funds for the Grizzly Bear Foundation's Project Rewild, an initiative helping to rewild orphaned grizzly cubs in B.C.
Grinder and Cooler first arrived at Grouse Mountain in 2001 after being rescued at six months old. Grinder was rescued from the Interior of B.C. after being found alone on a logging road near Invermere, while Coola was found a few weeks later, near Bella Coola beside his mother, who had been killed in a car collision.
