![]() ![]() ![]() Maureen and Murray Clark (generation three) are now the bear trainers, teaching them to drink out of "bear cans" (milk mixed with honey), shoot "bearsketball," balance on a big drum, swing on a big swing, dribble giant hockey pucks with their paws, ride scooters, etc. The bear pits of Tennessee and North Carolina still have fans, but it is here at Clark's Bears that American bear entertainment reaches its apex - literally, bears have climbed poles in front of Clark's to serve as living billboards for the attraction. "We convert a lot of people," he told us, referring to those who question the ethics of training bears to shoot hoops. Murray Clark was the long-time patriarch and an imposing presence. It is still a family business 20 of the of 150 employees are Clark family members. Generations three through five of Clarks now run the place. In 1949 the Clark's bear show began and hasn't stopped since.īear sisters Onyx and Ursula kick back to glug from "bear cans." Murray and Maureen Clark are designated drivers. Ed and his sons eventually realized the bears could be trained to perform simple tricks - smarter than parrots, more dangerous than any dozing croc. Two years later he added local animals, New Hampshire black bears, to attract tourists. The Clarks have been running a business in New Hampshire's White Mountains since 1928, when Ed Clark opened his Eskimo Sled Dog Ranch. If you crave a furry flashback to your parents' or grandparents' vacation time, a living reminder of an age that is otherwise all red-shifted and creaky, you won't do much better than Clark's Bears (formerly Clark's Trading Post). Ursula's eye is on the hoop, not the ice cream, as she dominates another game of "Bearsketball" at Clark's Bears. ![]()
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