Party Ends For Mendocino Bears

Lynne Gravier, bear hostess with the mostest, has been forcibly separated from her ursine pals “Gravier, known to almost everyone as the ‘Bear Woman,’ has been feeding bruins and other animals for decades, but nobody realized the extent of her devotion until neighbors began complaining. Last Aug. 24, seven fish and game wardens raided Gravier’s home. They stumbled on what was essentially an animal hippie commune and shack-out pad. In all 15 loafing black bears hung out with Gravier inside the house and on her deck, and lumbered around the compound like kings at a feast. Gravier named her oafish friends things like Smiley, Goofy, Connie, Biggie and Wombat. She admitted setting up a kiddie pool for wallowing. She fixed peanut butter sandwiches for her guests, sometimes mixing in glucosamine to ease the arthritis pain in older bears.” [Via]