Who is Fortress of the Bear?
The Fortress of the Bear is a non-profit bear refuge and education center in Sitka, Alaska. It was established in 2003 by Les and Evy Kinnear at the Gary Paxton Industrial Park, which previously housed the Sitka Pulp Mill. Sitka conservation organizations opposed the Kinnears' plan to open a refuge, believing that wild bears should not be confined in tanks and shown to the public. To convince the authorities that they could properly care for animals, the Kinnears started raising pigs and other farm animals at the location. After several years of work, the refuge received all the necessary state and city permits. The sanctuary began housing its first brown bear, Killisnoo, in 2007, and its first black bear, Smokey, in 2013. The refuge was visited by 20 percent of cruise ship passengers who docked in Sitka in 2016. By its 10th anniversary in 2017 of housing bears, three black bears and five brown bears lived there. By 2017, it had 30,000 yearly visitors and made $1 million in annual reve...
