New-York tribune., 1905-06-04
RAISING CAPTTVE BEARS.
An Ohio Man Who Has FOllOz0ed
the UniQue Business for Years.

The earnest attention of scientists in every part
the world being directed at present to the re-
markable and unprecedented success achieved by
r. H Lodge, of Akron ONO in the raising of bears
in captivity which unusual industry he has been
conducting for seventeen. years and more. during
which time he has had living in his bear pit" or
"colony OF BEARS many hundreds of these black
animals.
Numbers of these bears have been sold to zoolog-
fcal gardens in all parts of the United States while
many have been disposed of from time to time
for holiday meat"
The phenomenal success attained by Mr. Lodge in
breeding bears cannot be attributed to any one
feature of his management. In which he is ably
assisted by his son, W. r. Lodge The large amount
and the character of the uncooked vegetable food
used has had probably much to do with IT, but the
opportunity for isolated Information in snug dry
dens. and the manner of treating the mother and
young must have contributed largely to the result.
The fact that there has not been case OF sickness
among the bears. death except through acci-
dent. during the time he has been in business is
sufficient of the success of the originator
of the industry become extensive and profit
able
1t is well known to those familiar with col
lections of wild animals in geological gardens and
parks that bears in such places seldom produce
young, and that to rear the cubs is still more un-
usual. that 1t is generally conceded that the
conditions incident to captivity almost preclude
notice that in this private park at akron onio 4
pair of black bears has regularly bred ana raised
The Foundation of the Industry began with a
mite of a female cub captured on the north shore
of Lake Superior in 1881. and presented to Mr..
Lodge by A c. Kendall, OF Cleveland Two months
Lodge purchased a male bear in Central Michigan
as a companion for his first acquisition, which is
still member of the happy family in the bear pit
al Silver Lake and in seventeen years Il has
been in captivity has brought twenty-seven cubs
into existence - -. :. . ,,
brick Dit twenty feet in diameter ana twelve Ieet
deem built on the eastern slope OF a hill Where
the ground is dry and there is good drainage On
tbe inner aide the top of the brick wall rises about
three feet above the surface OF the ground. Inc
dnor ~ the pit IS of terra Gotta block set in
noroant aud slopes toward the entrance gate,
1,bera drainage is provided by gutter OF the same
r,ata~isIs The brick lined entrance passage. about
rem feet long and six feet high. is provided with
tnner and outer gates of iron grating, and thus
1nafry pit when desirable There is water tank
ahout three by six feet, at one side of the pit
Tgf, retiring dens are excavated in the bank. each
sbcI,t i've feet by six feet and four feet high
These are eight ten feet beneath the surface oi
the crO,Ind are lined with brick and connected
with the nit by a twenty-four-inch circular open
ing. .,s .,.t. . ,,;,,v
hut somewhat larger retiring den, with venttiat
sne- shaft in the top. while the only opening in tht
others is that leading to the pit. There is a SUD
niy OF water under pressure, within convenien
Teach and the pit is frequently and thoroughly
washed with "A hose When the retiring dens re
nuIre to be cleaned the bears are confned IN th
, gateway passage -, -, -,
rhe first OF June and they mate in the latter par
~ lime and the first week in July They remain
together in the pit until the time Of hibernation
The cubs are born between January y and "a
rrheir presence in the den is at once made eviden