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Fortress of the Bear, Sitka

4.5
#3 of 54 in Things to do in Sitka
Zoo · Zoo / Aquarium
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Bears ruled Alaska long before fishermen, gold miners, or cruise ships arrived. As their territory has diminished, more and more bear cubs have become orphaned. The state of Alaska has no bear rehabilitation program in place, and unfortunately orphaned cubs are routinely shot by the Department of Fish and Game for lack of an alternative. Until now. At Fortress of the Bear, our mission is to rescue cubs, bring them back to health and provide a long life full of enrichment.

Our rescue center opened in 2007, and now houses 8 bears. More than 20,000 visitors per year come to experience the majesty of these amazing creatures. We've sent cubs to the Bronx Zoo, Montana Grizzly Encounter and the International Big Cat in Boyd, Texas - we’ve given a total of 3 bear cubs a second chance. Our goal is to work with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game to someday release rehabbed bears back into the wild. As a 501(C)3 not-for-profit organization, we rely solely on admission fees and donations for funding.
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Fortress of the Bear reviews

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TripAdvisor traveler rating
TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.5
972 reviews
Google
4.7
TripAdvisor
  • It's not the biggest facility, but holds quite a bit to see and do for its size. I felt it was well worth the visit. It was a lot of fun seeing the handlers feed the bear, and it was interesting... 
    It's not the biggest facility, but holds quite a bit to see and do for its size. I felt it was well worth the visit. It was a lot of fun seeing the handlers feed the bear, and it was interesting...  more »
  • this place was amazing ...so close to these bears...you could spend hrs watching them. the staff really care about the bears ,,,, 
    this place was amazing ...so close to these bears...you could spend hrs watching them. the staff really care about the bears ,,,,  more »
Google
  • I would give this place 6 stars if I could. Absolutely blows me away how close you can get to the various bears. I like how staff all know their facts and are polite. The facility is well laid out and clean for both humans and bears alike. Definitely a must see and remember to donate a few bucks they deserve it!
  • We absolutely loved seeing the rescued bears up close. They have ramps everywhere, so those with mobility issues can still enjoy the experience. They even have step stools so the vertically challenged don't miss anything. They have a great gift shop as well.

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