For starters, wild animals should never be tamed unless the situation requires.
They should be brought up in their natural habitats where they can live, hunt, and reproduce. Animals living in captivity forget who they are and their true nature is overshadowed.
However, Jimbo the Kodiak brown bear was severely injured when Jim Kowalczik adopted him. Although he was born in captivity, Jim knew he could never survive in the wilderness. Therefore, he decided to take the cub under his wing.
Jim and his wife Susan founded the Orphaned Wildlife Center in Otisville, in New York, in 2015. They started the wildlife center with an aim to look after injured bears and planned to release them as soon as they healed.
Jimbo spent the rest of his life with the Kowalczik family although he kept company with 11 bears at the wildlife center.
Some of the bears brought at the wildlife center were orphans whose mothers were killed or some had survived collisions with a car.
The Kowalcziks treated the giant bear as part of their family and Jimbo was often photographed playing with Jim. They could also be seen relaxing together.
Last year in February, Jimbo started to feel out of sorts. Medications did help him a little bit but the vets weren’t able to identify the cause of his discomfort.
Later, it was found out that Jimbo had cancer in his liver. In the photographs, the couple could be seen giving the 24-year-old lovable hunk cuddles and simply talking to him.
Unfortunately, giant Jimbo passed away a month later and both Susan and Jim suffered from an indispensable amount of grief. It was hard for them to cope with life, as Jimbo was part of the family for more than two decades.
Jimbo was one of a kind and him leaving will be felt by many especially the Kowalczik family.
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