Man Raises Wild Bears On His Farm And Enjoys Taking Long Hikes With Them

Sep 04, 2020 by apost team

For 74-year-old Joel Rosenthal, there’s couldn't be anything better than taking a long walk with his furry companions — five frisky black bears. You heard right. Joel is a former biologist from Pocahontas County, West Virginia. For the last seven years, he has operated an animal rescue at his remote 262-acre homestead. Point of View Farm is the only nonprofit wildlife sanctuary in the area.

Joel is serious about bears. When a baby bear is orphaned, injured, or abandoned, he has no hesitation about taking them to his Point of View Farm and raising them inside of his house. He hand-feeds them, cuddles them, and even sleeps close to them until they are old enough to be moved outside, he says in the video below. He knows if left on their own in the forest, they would likely die or be killed by hunters.

No wonder they seem to regard him as their doting dad. Like all good parents, Joel knows that when his bears are grown up, it’s time to release them back into nature — but only when hunting season is over. Some of them, however, may return to visit, and a happy Joel will welcome his bear children with open arms.

apost.com

There are other animals at the farm besides bears that he works to rehabilitate and ultimately release back into the wild. Those animals who can’t be released will always have a home at Point of View Farm.

There’s no question that Joel is living his dream. His farm is so remote that he may go months on end without seeing another human being but that suits him just fine, he says in the video. His bears keep him on his toes and give him enough love and companionship to last a lifetime.

What brings him the most joy? He says he loves those daily hikes with the bears in the video below. It's so satisfying to watch when they scamper ahead of him, grappling and tackling each other. Sometimes one will chase the other up a tree. If you saw Joel and his bears from far away, you'd think it was just a man out on a walk with his dogs. How surprised you'd be when you got closer! You can find more information about Joel and his bear family on his Facebook page. 

Maybe taking a hike with bears isn’t for everyone, but it sure is fun to see Joel in his element with his beloved companions. What did you think of this bond between Joel and his bears? If you found this video inspiring, pass this article along to a bear-loving friend. It just might make their day.