PETA targets Myakka City’s Bearadise Ranch after federal citation for letting bear loose
Federal inspectors cited the Myakka City-based Bearadise Ranch company for accidentally letting a bear loose inside the arena during one of its recent performances.
According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection report, performers removed a leash from an adult brown bear before a loud noise scared the animal and sent it running toward the crowd. No one was injured in the Aug. 4 incident, which took place at the Mississippi Valley Fair in Iowa.
The inspectors’ report noted that the public was closer to the bear than the animal handler. The fencing at the arena also did not have the proper safeguards in place to make sure the bear couldn’t escape, they said.
“The brown bear could have potentially escaped or made contact with the public as the handler didn’t have direct control of the animal during these times,” the citation said.
Bearadise Ranch conducts bear performances across the country. The company also hosts tours of its facility at 6908 245th Street East in Myakka City.
In a press release, PETA denounced Bearadise Ranch and renewed a call to remove the bears from the company’s ownership.
“Not only does Bearadise Ranch exploit bears, who belong in nature, it also puts its audience at risk,” Debbie Metzler, the PETA Foundation’s associate director for captive animal law enforcement, said in a press release. “PETA urges everyone to steer clear of this cruel sideshow before a member of the public gets hurt, or worse.”
Bearadise Ranch could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.
Monica Welde, owner of Bearadise Ranch, has publicly battled PETA before. Welde has shared several posts on social media that criticize the organization’s approach to animal welfare. The Bearadise Ranch Facebook page has also pushed back on PETA’s demands to relocate the bears to a sanctuary.
“To our bear fans and supporters,” the company wrote in a Facebook post sharing news of PETA’s demands. “This is to inform you of the seriousness of their harassment, threats and attacks on our legal animal enterprise and family reputation.”
PETA’s complaints have also led the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission to cite Bearadise Ranch for improper animal handling. In February, the state agency issued a misdemeanor citation for allowing a news crew in the same cage as one of the adult bears.
FWC officials also issued a formal warning in 2020 after Bearadise Ranch allowed a bear to serve as the ring bearer in a wedding.
