New bear center in Ely

Looks like there'll be a new place to learn about black bears in Ely. The North American Bear Center plans to break ground later this summer, and although it isn't affiliated with the International Wolf Center, also in Ely, its goal sounds similar:

Educating humans about the behavior, personalities and intelligence of black bears is the primary mission of the soon-to-be-built North American Bear Center.

[...]

"It's always been my passion to have people know more about bears," said Rogers, who's spent 38 years researching black bears. "The problem is that bears have been demonized in the past by humans and we want to correct the rampant misconceptions about bears."

Two bears would live in the enclosure. Rogers said he doesn't know yet where the bears will originate.

The center is looking for donations to help pay for construction.