McDaniel is considering moving the 18-year-old female black bear who lives at his Hellam Township ice cream and mini golf business, now that criticism of her care has increased.
"With the public outcry, I'm leaning in the direction of letting her go," he said. "My concern with her leaving is after 16 years, she has her routines. Hopefully, she'll be able to adjust."
McDaniel said complaints over Ricki's care have increased steadily over the past five years but have really ramped up with the recent filing of a civil lawsuit.
"There's been phone calls from Arizona, California, New Mexico; there's been some nasty ones," McDaniel said. "I've been getting these threats lately, where they're threatening to let her loose, cut the fence, and I don't want that to happen."
Still, he insists that Ricki's care is anything but inhumane.
"She's very well taken care of - I believe that, oh my gosh, yes," he said.
Recently, four area residents filed the public-nuisance civil suit, asking for Ricki to be moved to an accredited bear sanctuary. In addition, comedian-actor Ricky Gervais weighed in on his Facebook account Monday, writing, "This is heartbreaking. Please sign & share the petition to help free Ricky the bear." As of Wednesday afternoon, the petition had more than 81,000 signatures.
McDaniel said he has spoken with two attorneys - and hasn't hired either one yet - but is following the advice of one who said to discuss the issue with his family, and then make a decision by Friday.
He said his father, James McDaniel Sr., launched the business in 1958, and that for as long as he could remember, there had always been a bear kept there.
"I grew up as a kid, and the bears were always there, there's been different bears there," he said. "I bought the business in 1983. Everything was already in place."
Sixteen years ago, a state wildlife conservation officer called and asked if he had room for Little Ricki. The bear was 2 years old at the time, living in Gettysburg with two other bears. The three would regularly escape from the inadequate cage, McDaniel said.
"I was called by the game commission to take this bear," he said. "They knew that I had a facility."
McDaniel said that if he agrees to let Ricki be transferred, he would have to talk with the sanctuary's handlers, to allay his fears.
"Her whole life is going to be turned upside-down ... If she's on 200 acres, 300 acres, will she get fed?" he said. "I'm just hoping that at a bear sanctuary, is she going to have her own little den? Or is she going to live out in the wild?"
For Ricki, she most likely won't be getting her favorite treat she enjoys in the spring and summer.
"I doubt she's going to get her Coca-Cola on Sundays if I let her go to the sanctuary," he said. "I doubt she's going to get her Maple Donuts."
(The York Daily Record - Jan 8, 2015)
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