ARLINGTON — Corky and Pumpkin, two black bears seized in a drug bust at the Canadian border, will leave the Sarvey Wildlife Center in Arlington on Wednesday for their new home.
The bears will live at the Wild Animal Orphanage in Texas, a nonprofit sanctuary that cares for more than 600 wild animals.
"When we walk back to the pens after they’re gone, it will be like our best friends left. We’ll miss them," Sarvey volunteer Jeff Guidry said. "Everybody loves these bears."
U.S. Customs agents impounded the bears and sent them to Sarvey in January after agents discovered 166 pounds of marijuana, worth nearly $500,000, stashed in a hidden compartment in the bears’ trailer.
Duane Christopher Bradley of Abbotsford, B.C., pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and is serving a 30-month prison sentence, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
When the two bears arrived at Sarvey, they were so overweight they couldn’t climb, their teeth and claws were broken, and they rarely ventured outside their den.
The 7-year-old bears weighed between 300 and 400 pounds, instead of the normal 200 to 300 because they were being fed whole turkeys.
The bears, who were fed a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, berries and breads at Sarvey, lost more than 100 pounds each, Guidry said.
"Our biggest fear was that they would be sent back where they came from. We were very excited to hear that they were going to the best place we can send them," he said.
The bears, who now have shiny coats and love to play, will have plenty of space at their home in Texas, Guidry said.
Corky and Pumpkin, who were apparently raised by an animal dealer, are so used to humans that they couldn’t be released into the wild.
Sarvey ensured that the two bears would stay together, Guidry said.
"They went through the abuse together and are bonded to each other," he said. "When something is happening to one, the other gets very upset and tries to defend. They’re absolutely inseparable."
Their departure leaves room at Sarvey for other bears, but the cage will need major repairs first, Guidry said.
Corky and Pumpkin will be picked up Wednesday by the Wild Animal Orphanage’s "humane train," a 30-foot trailer with transport cages. They’ll then have a nonstop trip to Texas.
Volunteers at Sarvey are making special bear treats for Corky and Pumpkin’s trip.
"It’s a pretty emotional time. I’m glad they’re going to a good place, but I’ll miss them a lot," Guidry said.
Reporter Katherine Schiffner: 425-339-3436 or schiffner@heraldnet.com.
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