Fursus found them again by his river. The humans. They were throwing their nets into his river and taking his fish. He considering sneaking up on them this time and give them a real scare. Most would think it’s impossible for a grizzly bear to sneak up on anything, but these greedy, greasy men were more focused on the money they were going to make off of the seemingly untouched salmon of this river. Fursus opted to take the classic approach his father had taught him to deal with humans. First a loud snort to get their attention, or a deep growl from the stomach if manageable. When the ignorant humans have noticed you and finished peeing themselves, give a menacing growl that is sure to send them running one-hundred percent of the time. At least that was what Fursus’ father had assured him, though considering his father had died by a human who had decided not to turn tail and run and instead shot a spray of hot lead into his face, the percentage was probably more around ninety-five percent.
Fursus gave his mighty roar and watched the greasy men fall over themselves as they hurriedly crossed the river towards their trucks that sat in wait on the rim of the valley that Fursus lived in. When the men were well off Fursus walked up to the river to start his daily routine of eating as many salmon as he could catch.  An hour passes before he sees a single salmon and it is hardly big enough for even a lynx to enjoy. Another hour passes and there is no other signs of salmon coming his way. Had the greasy men taken all his fish? Or had the major fisheries on the coast over-fished the migrating populations of salmon that came up his river every year from the ocean to reproduce? Either way, the humans were again the cause of his troubles and had not attempted to fix this problem. Just last year he had received a letter from his cousin who lived up north that he would have to move as his home was becoming too warm that he could no longer stand the conditions. He was having trouble moving however, as he is not a strong swimmer.
Fursus had sent in a formal request to the U.S. Government for a possible wildlife sanctuary be created on his valley so that no more humans would be able to take his fish or take down his favorite back scratching trees. Fursus never received a reply from the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Services, he attributes this to the disinterest of the greedy politicians on Capital Hill who would rather profit off of every inch of undeveloped land in nature. Fursus also considers the possibility that he received no reply because he does not have a mailbox, but this is a low possibility that is not worth taking seriously.
It is more likely that the humans are more focused on getting rich off of any possible exploitable resource. Fursus has seen this throughout his lifetime as all his former homes had been destroyed by loggers who not only cut down every tree in large rectangular plots, but also ripped up the land in the process with their large machines that prevented further growth. These loggers would also pollute the land with their trash that many other animals that Fursus had known had suffocated on or were poisoned when attempting to eat. These selfish acts of deforestation had forced Fursus to move around until he could find another river that would not be already claimed by another bear or polluted by humans.
Fursus also knows though that not all humans are greedy and selfish, some were actually trying to fix some of the damage that they had caused to the planet, there just weren’t enough of them and time was running out for many species. One such human (Alice Horowitz) had helped Fursus a few months earlier start a GoFundMe for Fursus to relocate. Permanently. He would no longer have to worry about deforestation, pollution, or fish problems. He wouldn’t have to deal with humans at all actually. Fursus was going to space.
Fursus had come to this final decision after a long time of deliberation with himself. He had considered moving to another area in the U.S. where there was a wildlife sanctuary or national park, but Fursus had seen the polls. He didn't want to live in a country that was run by a fool like Trump who would cut federal spending for the Environmental Protection Agency on the basis that, “we’ll be fine with the environment.” If it weren’t for agencies that protected wildlife like the EPA, Fursus would probably be dead already from a lack of food, land to live, or from pollutants in what he eats. Fursus knew this and would not be staying much longer in the United States.
But where else could Fursus go? He certainly couldn’t go to Russia with all their problems, and the Arctic would probably be gone by the time he arrived. The tropical rainforests were too warm for him, plus there would most likely be a soybean farm or a soccer stadium in place of the forests that would have given him shelter. Anywhere Fursus looked there were problems with nature that humans had caused. There was nowhere safe for him to go. Fursus just couldn’t bear it any longer, he would have to go somewhere that humans have not ruined with their presence. This only left one frontier, the final frontier. Space.
Fursus contacted (Alice Horowitz) about his GoFundMe page to see if there was enough support for his interstellar trip. (Alice Horowitz) had outstanding news, there was around thirty billion dollars raised for Fursus. Whether this money came from concerned wildlife conservationists or those who thought the idea of a bear going to space was both ridiculously hilarious and outrageous did not matter. Fursus had the funding to go to Mars.
Fursus called NASA about supplying him with a spaceship that would be able to reach Mars. After NASA hung-up the phone, Fursus decided that he would have to just go in person and show them the money. Luckily for Fursus, Kodiak Island, Alaska was a launch station for NASA and was only a few days trip on foot. When Fursus arrived with check in hand, NASA provided Fursus with the vessel he had requested. Fursus’s trip to Mars would supply NASA with vital information on a living creature’s experience in traveling to Mars. They needed this information for their Mars Direct mission where humans would be sent to populate and research Mars. Fursus didn’t mind because he would be able to live out his life without humans before they would ever arrive.
Fursus suited up and boarded the spacecraft. He strapped himself in to his seat in the c***pit and awaited the countdown. NASA had rigged the spaceship with autopilot that had the coordinates and route to Mars already programmed in, all Fursus would have to do is sit and wait. Fursus was nervous but excited, this was the beginning of a new life for him, a life without the worry of human involvement and disruption. He named the spaceship The Ark and carved his name into the metal sheeting above his head with his claws. The countdown reached zero and the ship launchd into the air, heading for a new world with new possibilities.