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Last chance to see Boo the bear in Golden before winter slumber

Visit Boo the bear until Sept. 23
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The big guy is 704 pounds as he starts prepping for fall snacking. (Instagram)

Golden’s favourite big guy is prepping for fall and the time of year everyone has been waiting for, the Boo weigh-in.

Boo, the bear is currently at about 704 pounds and as fall continues he will increase his weight as he bulks up for winter and enters hyperphagia. During hyperphagia, some grizzlies can spend up to 90 per cent of their day foraging for food, gaining two to five pounds a day, and developing a fat layer up to six inches thick to get them through their winter dormancy period.

The season to see Boo is coming to an end so be sure to check out the Kicking Horse Grizzly Bear Refuge, open Thursday to Monday until Sept. 23.

“Boo is still an active bear enjoying his time foraging and taking part in the many enrichment ideas the Rangers set out for him. During your visit you can follow Boo along with one of our Rangers to listen to the interpretive tour and learn all about our favourite guy and Grizzly Bear conservation,” said the refuge.

The refuge will also host a “Guess Boo’s weight contest” later this fall where fans of the “big boy”, can enter a number of how much the bear will weigh before he goes for his winter nap. Boo is a social media icon, with more than 7,000 followers on Instagram, many of whom were waiting for the refuge to open and quickly took to Facebook with words of excitement.

The grizzly lives in a 20-acre area where he plays, forages and explores within this natural mountainside habitat just like his wild cousins.

READ MORE: Hot days, cool treats for Golden’s Boo the bear

READ MORE: Boo the bear works smarter, not harder at Kicking Horse treasure Hunt

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Jen Zielinski

About the Author: Jen Zielinski

I am a broadcast journalism graduate from BCIT and hold a bachelor of arts degree in political science and sociology from Thompson Rivers University. I enjoy volunteering with local organizations, such as the Okanagan Humane Society.
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