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Fair bears
Caring for bears is a
By Nancy Arcayna
family affair for the Weldes,
bear trainers at this
year's 50th State Fair
Special to the Star-BulletinSOME people dream of running away to join the circus. The Welde family doesn't need to. They have one in their own back yard. Instead of having a pet cat or dog, they own nine brown bears that weigh between 200 and 1,200 pounds each.
Johnny Welde, his wife Monica and their children, 15-year old Jennifer and 10-year old John, care for these big furry creatures that can ride motorcycles and bicycles, do handstands and rollovers and even balance on a ball. And the whole family is a part of the bear act will be featured at the 50th State Fair.
Old-time Hawaii carnival man E.K. Fernandez loved bears. He introduced "Alice Teddy," the wrestling and skating bear, to local audiences in the early 1900s.Like Fernandez, Johnny Welde's grandfather loved bears, and bred, reared and trained them his whole life. He established a trained bear act by the time he was 26. Today, the third generation Weldes carry on the 74-year-old family traditions.
As youngsters, the Welde children had the opportunity to help with the round the clock feeding and raising of the cubs.
"In a week's time, we use about 150 to 200 pounds of dog chow, 200 to 300 loaves of bread and lots of fruits and vegetables," says Johnny. The bears love sweet potatoes, carrots, corn, apples, oranges, tomatoes, and especially watermelon, he says.
Jennifer gets to balance on a ball alongside the bears and John and his 20-month-old sister Angelica get to ride on Bruno, the 1,200 pound bear.
In addition to the show, "The Bear's Den," an exhibit, will allow fairgoers to view cubs as they play and interact.
Jennifer and John claim working with bears has taught them to respect and care for all wildlife. The family takes great pride in the responsibility of continued breeding and conservation to help preserve the waning populations.This is important, as these acts have come under fire in recent years from animal rights activists.
The trainers said they try to provide comfort for the animals during their long journey to the islands, which included a five-day trip on an ocean barge. They feed and water the animals often and make sure they get plenty of attention. Monica noted that the small bears were a bit seasick but were fine after they arrived last week and ate a good meal.
There are guidelines and safety restrictions that are followed during the performances. "We are required to use muzzles for insurance purposes during the show," explains Monica. The animals do not wear muzzles at any other time and they have all of their claws and teeth, she said.
Johnny added, "We are required to put an additional safety gate up in Hawaii due to the unfortunate elephant incident with Tyke.
"Even though our animals are trained, we provide an educational aspect to the show. I think it is necessary," said Monica. Jennifer added, "The bears know that we love them."
Cathy Goeggel of Animal Rights Hawaii disputes the trainer's statements. "We feel that the traveling animal shows are a disgrace. They do nothing to promote conservation and preservation of the animals. Would you put a muzzle on your family member?" she asked.
She said the veterinarians and board members in the community approved the permit but claimed that the exhibition of such animals is coming under extreme criticism. "These acts can also be potentially dangerous to the audience," she says.
The Weldes often find themselves commisserating with next-door neighbor Marco Peters.
Talk about strange neighborhoods. Peters has four sea lions in his back yard. Peters' show is the only traveling sea lion show in the United States and will also be a part of the fair.
Peters was born in the circus and traveled and trained animals throughout Europe. When Ringling Brothers Circus sought his services, he left his home in Holland for America.
Federal agencies entrusted two sea lions to Peters rather than put to sleep after injuries left them beached. The other two were rescued from a circus in Mexico when it closed down.
Peters claims that there is no way that they could survive at their age if they were released back into the wild. "The girls are 20 and the average life span for sea lions is 14 years," he explains.
Peters performs a humorous skit where he portrays "Surfer Joe." The sea lions sing, dance, do balancing acts and handstands and make a complete fool out of Surfer Joe, he says. "Anything they are doing is a natural behavior that I just bring out for people to see."
The sea lions are playful creatures. Alicia charged across the platform just to give me a big wet kiss. She was also jealous when Peters was talking to me and nudged him off his seat.
The trainers consider the animals as family members. Peters says, "I spend so much time with them. I notice mood swings and minute differences. The sea lions are like my kids. They are happy girls." he says.
His main goal in performances is to convey the message of the dangers of ocean debris, which caused stomach problems for one of his charges.
Two more acts are musical tribute bands Backstreet Boyz and Sync In, performing the music of the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync. These look-alike bands from Canada have been playing to sell-out crowds at fairs and festivals across the country.
They mimic the music and moves of the original bands. The groups won over a Hilo crowd, said Donna Smith, of E.K. Fernandez. "The girls were screaming and absolutely loved them. They even brought them flowers. You would have thought they were the real thing."
Fun time
What: 50th State Fair
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