Vermont man attempts to transform property into bear refuge

WILMINGTON, Vt. — A Vermont man is trying to turn his property into a wildlife refuge for bears.

The Brattleboro Reformer reports (http://bit.ly/2xibO7e ) Jim Burke met with the Wilmington Development Review Board on Monday to discuss turning the majority of his 62-acre property into a safe haven for bears and other animals.

Burke says he simply wants the land to provide a safe place for wildlife once him and his wife move. He says there wouldn’t be a fence around the property and no one would feed the animals.

The board says Burke must transfer development rights to an organization to meet zoning ordinances for a wildlife refuge.