By Lee Ross
Mountain View Telegraph
With their roly-poly ways and hefty appetites, bears are likeable to many people.
About 110 visitors came to Wildlife West Nature Park for the second annual Bear Fair on July 12.
Although the park could not boast the success of last year's 300 attendees, this year's fair was well worth the price of admission, according to Al Huff. An eagle scout, Huff said he enjoys seeing any kind of wildlife.
"Anytime you can get this close to animals, it's always worthwhile," said Huff.
He, his wife, Carleen, and daughter Kaylee drove from Rio Rancho after finding the park in the phone book.
"I didn't even know this was out here," he said as he helped Kaylee, who has cerebral palsy, cool off with a drink inside the gift shop.
Huff and his wife said that, coincidentally, they met up with their "CP Crew," a small group of parents of children with cerebral palsy who came to the fair with their kids.
Lyle and Kelli Kordonowy of the Edgewood area had a much shorter drive to the park than the Huffs. They brought their granddaughter, Katelyn Kordonowy, who they were watching for the weekend.
Katelyn, who would hide behind a stuffed bear her grandparents had bought her, said she liked seeing the bear.
"We just needed something to do," Lyle said.
Lyle said he was impressed with the "big cats," two mountain lions weighing 175 and 200 pounds.
Although many went on to visit the park's coyotes, gray wolves and raccoon, most people came to see the bear, according to Bill Falvey, a wildlife biologist with the United States Forest Service.
Falvey and his biological science aid, Francisco Anaya, had set up a booth with information on bears and other wildlife. Anaya, who studies biology in college, is from Estancia and had worked at Wildlife West before becoming a biological science aid for the summer.
He and Falvey also set up a display with a tent near some bear signs, such as tracks and scat, to demonstrate what not to do while camping. Falvey said it hadn't generated much interest, though.
"People see a tent and some bear poop and say, 'Eh, there's a live bear,' " he said with a shrug.
Each half-hour group of about six were taken for a rare glimpse of the park's 350-pound bear, Koshari, from the "backstage" area where he is fed.
Koshari eats 30 to 40 apples, a pound of raw horse meat and two large bowls full of food pellets formulated for omnivores each a day, according to Kyleigh Faucett and Breanne Cordier, the two park employees who gave the tour.
Along with an up-close view of the bear, a few of visitors were allowed to feed Koshari apples.
Although somewhat reluctant to feed the bear at first, Jeanne Britton held the piece of apple with a steady hand and left the tour smiling.
"Bears are my favorite," she said.
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