Creek County Woman Owner Of Two Black Bears

When Wanda Foster was at a livestock sale in Missouri she bought herself a very interesting animal. Now, 24 years later, her Creek County farm is still home to two black bears, Ben and Molly.

My first question to Foster was how'd you get two bears?

"They brought a little bear out, I couldn't resist," she said. "I bought it, I didn't know the first thing about bears. I've learned a lot."

Foster used to own a farm in Silver City in Creek County. She sold it about a year ago, but continues to keep her two bears there.

One thing she learned is the female she bought needed a male partner. So she bought another one; she named them Molly and Ben. Over the years they've had 35 cubs, she's placed them all over the country.

When we got there, Ben was up and around while Molly was asleep in their cave.

"Here Rick I'll show you how to feed a bear candy," she said.

That's something else she's learned, bears love those little peppermint candies. We were tossing peppermints over the fence to try to get Molly to come out, and eventually she did.

Ethen Herrington, one of our spring interns came along, he was curious about the bears. What he learned, is black bears will eat peppermints as long as you will feed them to them.

When asked what they really eat, Foster said, "Dog food, and fruits and vegetables, never any meat, they've never had meat."

The bears weren't Foster's first experience with exotic animals.

"When I first got the bears I had llamas, wallabies, potbellied pigs," she said.

As well as raccoons, deer and a zebra, but Foster said the bears are her favorite.

You have to have special permits to have bears in Oklahoma. Foster said she has them, and she said she believes she's the only licensed bear breeder in Oklahoma.