Hartford, Alabama Is Now Home To Grizzly Bears: Welcome to Grizzly Ranch

When anyone hears of Grizzly Ranch, it doesn’t sound believable. However, it’s a very real bear rescue located in rural Alabama, a place where grizzlies and Kodiak brown bears, alongside other displaced wildlife species, live in long-term human care. This sanctuary exists for a particular reason: it’s there to care for any animals that cannot be released back into the wild.

Grizzly Ranch is a nonprofit wildlife rescue focused on the lifelong care of these animals, including providing stable housing, nutrition, enrichment, and veterinary support. Additionally, public education is a core pillar of its work, aiming to educate people on how to prevent the mistakes that brought these wild animals to Grizzly Ranch to begin with. Visitors are brought into this establishment on the sanctuary’s terms, in smaller groups and controlled settings, with the entire experience framed around wildlife rescue and responsible stewardship.

Types of Animals Living At Grizzly Ranch

In a 2025 Cowboy State Daily profile, Grizzly Ranch founder Isaac Rempe explained that Grizzly Ranch was founded in 2017, but some of its earliest bears, such as Tonk and Yogi, were originally raised by his mentor, Dexter Osborn, at a rescue in South Florida before being relocated to the Alabama property. The 40-acre property provided the organization room to expand its animal spaces and provide care for even more wildlife species — and on a more permanent basis.

Grizzly Ranch is home to multiple bear species as well as other animals, including:

• Grizzly bears
• Kodiak brown bears
• A grizzly/Syrian brown bear hybrid
• African servals
• A timber wolf
• Capuchin monkeys
• Macaws

Instability in the Bear Rescue Space

Part of Grizzly Ranch’s mission is to provide a permanent sanctuary to the rescued animals, keeping them safe and cared for until their passing. Tonk, for example, is the sanctuary’s oldest grizzly. He was born in 2006 at a Georgia bear park and rescued by Grizzly Ranch after his first home couldn’t care for him any longer. Yogi was born in 2011 and has a similar story, arriving at Grizzly Ranch after his facility shut down. Kody, the sanctuary’s first Kodiak bear, came in 2021 because another facility was over capacity. Charmin and Izzy followed in 2022, bottle-raised by Grizzly Ranch staff after arriving as very young siblings. Bitsy and Boo also arrived in 2025 after needing placement from another facility, proving how unstable many wildlife ventures can be.

Daily Life at Grizzly Ranch

Any wildlife rescue dedicated to the lifelong care of its animals has its work cut out for it, and Grizzly Ranch is no exception. The work here is constant and physical, backed by animal husbandry and a desire to constantly improve. In a 2025 WTVY feature on the sanctuary, Rempe said, “We always have a lot of projects going on. We are always building. We are constantly working on expanding, making homes for our residents and making homes for new residents.”

Because of the consistent influx of new arrivals, enclosures are frequently upgraded, and feeding routines are constantly refined, with each new resident changing how the property looks.

Additionally, the bears’ typical seasonal patterns look different here than they would in the wild. In fact, the bears at Grizzly Ranch do not hibernate the same way that wild bears do, as their food supply remains consistently available. Having the luxury of regular food and stable shelter, alongside low-stress, tourist-free routines, makes an enormous difference for the displaced animals that call Grizzly Ranch home.

The Educational Goals of Grizzly Ranch

Grizzly Ranch is dedicated to reshaping how people think about wildlife through responsible wildlife stewardship. Ranch visitors are offered guided exposure to animals that people often misunderstand. The Hartford community also regularly rallies behind Grizzly Ranch, with volunteers and Boy Scout troops helping with maintenance and care.

Rempe said in the Cowboy State Daily profile, “The balance and respect (for nature) has gone away. That best path to taking that fear away is to educate.” Grizzly Ranch understands that bears are often grouped into two untrue categories: something to be afraid of or something to anthropomorphize. Their educational programs don’t play into either of these ideas, helping younger generations and anyone interested to better experience and understand bears firsthand.

In the same profile, Rempe also described brown bears as being “right up there on the level of primates as far as intelligence and problem-solving skills.” This insight helps explain why captive care for bears cannot be limited to simple feedings and zero stimulation within their habitats. Intelligent animals need enrichment and keepers who understand their individual temperaments and quirks.

With such distinct temperaments in mind, Rempe said in the same interview, “I would never advise anybody to do what I do.” He went on to explain that bears can be especially hard to read compared to other predators, which is part of why the sanctuary continues to put education first. A place like Grizzly Ranch only works if visitors leave with more humility than they arrived with.

Why Community Support Is Vital to Grizzly Ranch

Any wildlife sanctuary is only as stable as its funding and local support. Like so many nonprofits, Grizzly Ranch relies on donations and the success of initiatives like offering tours, gift cards, and other booking options. Lifelong care for large mammals does not come cheap, but the work here is ongoing. A sanctuary like this needs people who donate, volunteer, book visits, bring youth groups, and keep the mission visible.

Grizzly Ranch is located at 622 Grove Road, Hartford, AL 36344. To learn more, visit grizzlyranch.org.