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Podcasts Take Two
Sanctuary and Meatball the bear advocate battle over name copyright
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This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Nov 13, 2013
Listen • 5:39
Sanctuary and Meatball the bear advocate battle over name copyright
The sanctuary housing Meatball the Bear is trying to wrest control of the Twitter account and its associated copyrighted name from bear advocate Sarah Aujero.
Lions, Tigers & Bears sanctuary posted to Facebook on Wednesday an update and photo: "Meatball is doing great! He looks forward to his time with Martine (one of his keepers) every day. He waits for Martine to fill his tub so he can get in and play in the water that he spills out. He thinks Martine will stay longer if he has to keep filling it. He also really looks forward to his special treats! He loves marshmallow filled oatmeal cookies!! Right now, his favorite foods are avocados, peanut butter and honey on whole grain bread and he just LOVES macadamias and hazelnuts!!!
Lions, Tigers & Bears sanctuary posted to Facebook on Wednesday an update and photo: "Meatball is doing great! He looks forward to his time with Martine (one of his keepers) every day. He waits for Martine to fill his tub so he can get in and play in the water that he spills out. He thinks Martine will stay longer if he has to keep filling it. He also really looks forward to his special treats! He loves marshmallow filled oatmeal cookies!! Right now, his favorite foods are avocados, peanut butter and honey on whole grain bread and he just LOVES macadamias and hazelnuts!!!
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Image via Facebook.com/lionstigersandbears
)

The sanctuary housing Meatball the Bear is trying to wrest control of the Twitter account and its associated copyrighted name from bear advocate Sarah Aujero.

Meatball, a wild California black bear so named for his proclivity for eating frozen Costco meatballs, has become a media darling.

After he was captured and released several times in the Glendale area in 2012, a local woman, Sarah Aujero, took on his persona on Twitter, raising funds to send Meatball to a bear sanctuary in San Diego and avoid being euthanized.

Now the sanctuary is trying to wrest control of the Twitter account and its associated copyrighted name from Aujero.

Brittany Levine, who reported on the story for the Glendale News-Press, joins the show to explain.