Boy who saved Roseville zoo bears decades ago writes a book about it

Roseville made national headlines two decades ago when 14-year-old Justin Barker went on a quest to save two neglected black bears at the old Royer Park Zoo. Barker's exploits return to Placer County in print as the grown-up activist wrote a book on his experience, "Bear Boy: a coming-of-age story about standing up for animals, questioning authority, and discovering the power of activism." The Roseville Press Tribune is featured in the book. "I have spent 10 years writing this book, so I am so happy it's finally here," Barker said Tuesday. As a troubled teen in the late 1990s, Barker discovered Ursula and Brutus, two sibling black bears kept in cramped conditions for 20 years at now-closed Royer Zoo. Young Barker found a cause that ignited his passion and a quest to find a sanctuary willing to take the bears. "The story of zoo animals, and the insanity that captivity creates in animals was the thing that I instantly jumped on," said Barker in a recent Sentia Media interview. "I was like hey, there's a local zoo here. I'm going to go there every day and do what I can to help these animals. That was really the starting point for me." In local broadcast news archives, young Barker can be seen collecting allowance from kids at area schools to help feed the bears proper food. As media coverage expanded, Folsom Zoo Sanctuary agreed to take the bears, but needed a whopping $250,000 to build a proper facility. Undaunted, Barker took his seemingly insurmountable quest to an international audience, gaining media attention and support from celebrities, including the world-renowned Dr. Jane Goodall. The money was gathered and the bears were moved to live out their remaining years in comfort. Goodall said in a preview, "This is a book that will encourage you to follow your dreams, to work hard to achieve a goal no matter how often you are told it is impossible. It is a book that illustrates one of the things I tell everyone — that each of us has a role to play in making this a better world… It is a fascinating and compelling read, a story told in excellent prose with a perfect balance between Justin's passion for justice, his determination to free the bears, and the problems he went through and overcame along the way...I simply couldn't put it down." Adult activist The bear quest began a career in activist media. Living in San Francisco the last 15 years, Barked worked in TV and video production after being moved by the power of the media because of the bears. "I have also continued my work for animals in zoos and have been battling the San Francisco Zoo to release documents for the last two years," Barker said. Due to his work, the San Francisco Zoo has been found in violation of city and state laws, and the case is being forwarded to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors this month. Barker is planning on developing a documentary that exposes the horrors of the zoo industry just like "Blackfish" exposed the aquarium industry, he explained. Press Tribune plays role "The Roseville Press Tribune is actually featured in the book!" Barker said. "You were the very first paper to cover the story and put me on the front page all those years ago. Your coverage was an important early win." The father of a 2-year-old son said he hopes to inspire young people to step up and make a difference. "My hope is that a young person reads this and falls in love with the idea of animal rights and activism and getting involved," Barker said. Barker also thanked Placer County. "The citizens of Roseville and Placer County were incredibly generous in the '90s, " Barker said this week. "I still have all the hundreds of letters that were sent with checks to raise money to move the bears and those addresses were predominantly within miles of the bear's old home. Their compassion and generosity helped the project succeed and ultimately inspired a global outpouring of support."