Rescued grizzly Boo celebrates 24th birthday with popsicles at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort

Boo, a rescued grizzly bear at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, British Columbia, turned 24 and got popsicles as warm weather returned. The sanctuary says the bear is entering his senior years and is now getting more cooperative-care training to support his health as he ages.

Why it matters: - Boo is a public-facing ambassador for grizzly bear care and wildlife conservation at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. - The bear’s aging also highlights how sanctuaries adjust care for senior wildlife living in human care. - Summer food drops and enrichment are part of the sanctuary’s effort to support natural foraging behavior.

What happened: - Boo, a rescued grizzly bear, turned 24 at the Grizzly Bear Refuge in Golden, British Columbia. - The sanctuary describes Boo as 7 feet tall and 295 kilograms, or 650 pounds. - Boo celebrated his birthday with popsicles to help him stay cool. - The bear spent more time outside his den during the mild winter but did not fully emerge from torpor until early April. - Boo’s first meal of the year, a lettuce snack, came after he had been awake for four consecutive days.

The details: - Grizzly bears do not true hibernate; they enter torpor, a lower-activity state with reduced heart rate, breathing, metabolism and body temperature. - Bears can wake and move around during torpor, especially in mild weather. - In the wild, grizzly bears typically live 25 to 30 years. - Bears in human care often live 35 to 40 years, and the oldest recorded bear in human care lived to 56. - Boo is now in what the sanctuary calls his golden years. - The care team is using cooperative care training so Boo can voluntarily take part in his health care. - Positive reinforcement training is being used to prepare Boo for injections, blood draws, physical exams and other assessments. - The approach is meant to reduce stress and avoid unnecessary restraint or sedation. - Since emerging this spring, Boo has been active, curious and frequently visible outside his den. - The gondola at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is fully operational again. - That allows regular food drops from above, which the sanctuary uses as enrichment for Boo. - Food and supplements are spread through his habitat to encourage searching, exploring and working for treats.

Between the lines: - Boo’s birthday update doubles as a care update, showing how a sanctuary turns a popular animal into a teaching tool about aging, torpor and enrichment. - The focus on cooperative care suggests the sanctuary is preparing for more frequent medical monitoring as Boo gets older. - Seasonal access to the gondola matters because enrichment at this scale depends on the resort’s infrastructure, not just animal care staff.

What's next: - The sanctuary expects to keep sharing updates as the summer progresses. - Visitors can see Boo through the Grizzly Bear Refuge Interpretive Tour at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. - The sanctuary says more information is available on its website and social media channels. - Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is also promoting other summer activities, including via ferrata, mountain biking and hiking.