The Kilham Bear Center has been helping to preserve the New England black bear population since 1993. For the last 30 years, theyâve been rehabilitating and releasing injured, orphaned and abandoned black bear cubs brought to them by the New Hampshire Fish and Game department.
The rehabilitation center first acquired about five cubs a year, but recently, theyâve been caring for 30 or more, with states like Vermont and Massachusetts bringing cubs to them as well. Theyâre currently housing a whopping 45 cubs this 2020 season.
Located in Lyme, the Kilham Bear Center is absolutely a family affair. Ben Kilham is the founder and president of the Center, and he and his sister, Phoebe, are both licensed wildlife rehabilitators for the State of New Hampshire. They were the first official bear rehabilitators in the Granite State. Ben primarily focuses on observing the behavior of the cubs and providing adequate food and supplies for them, while Phoebe focuses more on the rehab