Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR) is a black bear rescue facility located just outside of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Townsend, Tennessee. ABR is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that has been returning black bears back to the wild since 1996. Each year black bears from our national parks and surrounding areas are orphaned, injured, or in need of medical care. Thanks to Appalachian Bear Rescue, these bears are given a second chance at life in the wild.
For today’s post, we urge you to watch the below video from WVLT News. ABR’s Operations Director, Greg Grieco, has spent the last couple of months working with reporters to craft a complete picture of the challenges black bears are facing in eastern Tennessee. This is great progress for our community, for bear cubs, and for BearWise efforts.
THANK YOU to WVLT for working with ABR to highlight this important issue and THANK YOU to all of YOU!! This is no doubt a result of your endless support and efforts to help us spread BearWise messaging. Change takes time, but change IS happening. 🐻👏 All of our cubs are doing well. Curator Tori will hold Facebook Live tomorrow, Thursday, November 21st at 12:30PM eastern. ... See MoreSee Less
I love that more awareness is being made on this issue. I don’t live in bear country. It breaks my heart for the bears. I do think that more expensive fines may be the key. Especially for those who are intentionally feeding the bears, which I have seen on social media. Which is so sad. One persons page was very clear, she knew she was doing wrong. She had the ability to communicate turned off. (I didn’t bother reporting her, only because I have reported people in the past for other issues, little to nothing was done.)
Ever since finding ABR many years ago. I went from someone who was very fearful of bears (which is a really long story- not for today.) Someone with a deep respect and love for bears, especially black bears. He. I can I share a try to spread awareness in hopes of helping.
Thank you ABR for all you are currently doing and have done and will continue to do for the bears.
We’re also seeing more bears in non bear areas due to loss of habitat
Stop building
They're hungry, you built your houses in they're hunting grounds.... They were there first.
All the outdoor cubs enjoyed a much needed shower today. Everyone was high in the treetops this morning and this afternoon, they've been through the drip-dry cycle. It's continued to rain throughout the day, so the bears have made themselves a bit scarce for the cameras.
Our newest arrival, Crockett Bear is settling in well. Curators have noticed a few interesting tidbits about Crockett. First, he's eliminated several roundworms. The worm meds are accomplishing their mission! Second, Crockett is mostly a nocturnal creature. He sleeps all day and has become much more active at night. Gradually, he's eating well. We're sure that he feels a whole lot better without the nasty parasites.
Scruffy and Rags continue to improve. The Curators have commented that Rags is a "new bear" now that he's ventured outdoors. Rags is smaller than his brother, but now, he tends to insist on getting his way with food bowls and such. Little Rags Bear has learned that Scruffy always heads straight for the peanut butter. While Scruff licks the peanut butter, Rags heads to the bowl to get first choice of his favorites. Smart little Rags!
ABR has been asked to be the Grand Marshal of the Townsend Christmas Parade this year. We hope you will come out to see the festivities on the afternoon of December 1st.
If the ABR 2025 Cubby Calendar, the ABR Logo Ornament or the 2024 Tim Weberding "For The Bears" ornament are on your holiday wish list, be sure to snag them from the store very soon! Supplies are limited. For anyone who missed the Jillie Eves Cubby Holiday Cards, we've added a small number of them back to the online and physical stores. They won't last long!
Got an unexpected package from ABR today, my husband surprised me with some items for my birthday, included was the ABR calendar, which is beautiful as always.
Such big healthy looking bears. I had to chuckle when reading about Rags pulling one over on Scruffy by letting Scruffy lick the peanut butter while Rags goes straight to the bowl to eat. Smart little bear. I am sure Crockett will continue to improve the more of those parasites he gets rid of. I think it is awesome that ABR has been asked to be the Grand Marshall of the Townsend Christmas Parade. Well deserved honor! 🙏🏻🐻♥️x29 plus curators
I wonder if crockett’s mom left him on the tree for the day while she goes off to sleep then they move around at night? 3x in a row.
ABR Daily Update-November 18, 2024-The Road to Independence 🐻
Weather: 70F (21C) Humidity 53%, Sunny 🌞
The cubs in our four wild enclosures are behaving as they would if they were still in the wild; they are eating as much as they can in preparation for winter. However, there is one major difference: all twenty-nine of our cubs, whether in the enclosures or in Hartley House, should still be with their respective mothers. We make a poor substitute for a mother bear, but we can provide the cubs with the food, space, and time they need to develop the size and skills necessary for survival in the wild.
The Outside Cubs are ready; everything they need to know about being a bear is instinctual. They know how to forage, find a den, and hibernate. Additionally, they have enough fat stored to see them through the winter. Crockett, Rags, and Scruffy possess the skills—they lived in the wild longer than any of our other residents—but they just need to gain more size.
The curators are still determining how to manage our three smallest cubs. Crockett is in the early stages of his recovery and sleeps a lot. Once he finishes his medication and gains some weight, they may introduce him to Rags and Scruffy. We will keep you informed at every step of the way. 🐻🐻🐻❤️
🗓️Our 2025 calendars are available for purchase at our online store along with other items unique to ABR. We’ sorry, but orders are restricted to the USA only. Please click on the link below. appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/
Nothing can substitute for a real Momma Bear, but ABR is definitely the next best thing for cubs and yearlings needing a hand up! I hope that there will be time for the last three cubs to get to know each other before they return to their solitary lives in the wild. Little bears need other little bears at least for a while 🙏🏻🐻♥️x29 plus curators
Every one of you at ABR does an amazing job!! Those bears hit the jackpot, even if they don’t tell you themselves. It’s such a pleasure to have the opportunity to watch the cubs chubbify in your care. I am grateful to feel a small part of the good you all do. ♥️♥️🐻🐻🙏🏻🙏🏻
So glad all chonks are doing well, whether in meerkat or flying squirrel form 🤣 Great to see Scruffy and Rags doing well and sleeping and eating well! Thank y’all for all you do for our precious bears 🐻💕
ABR Daily Update-November 17, 2024- Cubs’ Progress 🐻
Weather: 72F (22C) Humidity 40%, Sunny 🌞
Crockett, our smallest and most recent arrival, is doing well. The vets informed us that he has a urinary tract infection, so he’ll be on antibiotics for a few days. He’s an exhausted little bear, and everything is strange to him. Today, it took him a while to wake up and approach his bowl of meds (containing delicious honey). Curator Seth scattered a few grapes to lure him toward the bowl, which seemed to work. Crockett took his time going into the adjoining room, but once he did, he found and drank his bowl of bear milk replacement formula. Good cubby! 🐻👏
Rags and Scruffy, his neighbors, enjoy living in Acclimation Pen #4 so much that they refused to come inside and hid in the culvert den. The curators want them to eat inside Hartley House so confined their food bowls to Room #3; if the food is there, the cubs eventually come inside. Scruffy is a goofy little bear; he loves to play and eat. When Rags has had enough of his brother, he tells him, and Scruffy respects his wishes. The good news is that Rags isn’t pacing nearly as much; he’s taken to sitting in the firehouse hammock and will even let Scruffy sit with him. The curators are pleased with their progress and patience.🐻
The rest of the cubs in residence (we have 29 in total) are thriving and eating lots of acorns, apples, and whatever they can find in their enclosures. The cubs in WE#3, famous for "moonscaping" their enclosure, have found a new location for exploratory excavation. We don’t know what they’re digging for, and we’re not asking.🤔
🗓️Our 2025 calendars are available for purchase at our online store along with other items unique to ABR. We’ sorry, but orders are restricted to the USA only. Please click on the link below. appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/
Lots of encouraging and entertaining news this afternoon. I am sure Crockett will feel MUCH better once that UTI is cleared. Glad to see that Rags isn’t pacing as much. As for the outside cubs, they may strike oil with all that digging, before time for them to leave! 🙏🏻🐻♥️x29 plus curators
Oh how I love to see all of them prospering, growing, gaining weight, and being so healthy. God Bless all of the curators who take care of these beautiful creatures. ABR has had their hands full for a long time with so many cubs, but they take it in stride and do all they can, so all of the cubbies can eventually return to where they belong, the wild.
Little Crockett is going to be OK I do believe. And glad Rags sets his big brother straight when play time is over 🤣 . Ruffy Scruffy going to learn that dynamite Rags comes in a small package.
ABR Daily Update-November 16, 2024-Crockett and our other Cubs. 🐻
Weather: 61F (16C) Humidity 55%, Sunny 🌞
Crockett Bear, our recent arrival, had a relatively good night in Hartley House. Rags and Scruffy, who live next door, refused to shift over to give Crockett an additional room. This morning, Curator Katrina was forced to slip a bowl of honey with deworming medication into Room #1, which Crockett ate with pleasure. Katrina reports he's having difficulty with peanuts (he has a broken baby incisor tooth), so they’ve switched him to bear milk replacement formula. He’s also showing a great deal of interest in the boys next door.
Our cubs remind us of Russian nesting dolls, each one larger than the one before it. Crockett, now our smallest cub, weighs 11 pounds (4.99 kg). At their last weighing on November 5, Rags weighed 20.4 pounds (9.25 kg) and Scruffy 37 pounds (16.78 kg). By now, Rags is twice as heavy as Crockett, Scruffy is twice as heavy as Rags, and the cubs outside are likely twice as heavy as Scruffy.🪆🐻
Rags and Scruffy have access to Room #3 and the Outdoor Acclimation Pen in Hartley House. It took Rags a long time to venture outside, but once he did, he hated to come back in. He’s very different from his brother in size and temperament; he’s more cautious and timid, both attracted to and disturbed by the outside. He’s starting to pace; the curator hopes this is temporary and will diminish as he gets used to life in the Acclimation Pen. Scruffy seems content inside or outside, as long as there’s something to eat. The brothers have decided they like apples after all; Scruffy in particular vacuums them up. 🐻🐻🍎
The cubs in the Wild Enclosures are wandering in and out of their respective Acclimation Pens. They’re getting used to eating inside, which will make it easier to trap them on release day, still several weeks away. Thanks to your generosity, they’re big, beautiful cubs.❤️
🗓️Our 2025 calendars are available for purchase at our online store along with other items unique to ABR. We’ sorry, but orders are restricted to the USA only. Please click on the link below. appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/
I misread one sentence as “Curator Katrina was forced to slip a bowl of money with deworming meds into room 1” and I thought, geez, these cubs are turning into little con artists, needing to be bribed with financial incentives. 🙄
Wasn’t there one cub that couldn’t tolerate the sight of the outdoors and had to have it blocked off? I wonder if Rags is similar.
Do they get released near where they were found? Or do they get released all in the same place? And do they stay in their familiar groups?
November 15, 2024: ABR Newsflash - Bear 425 Arrives
Late this afternoon, ABR received a call from TWRA. A citizen in Greene County, Tennessee, had reported a small cub high in the same tree for three days. No adult bears were seen in the area. TWRA officers were able to capture the little bear and called ABR for assistance. The officers met Curator Jamie and transferred the cub to ABR. Curator Jamie transported the bear to The UTCVM-University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine for a medical exam. Curator Katrina met them at UTCVM with an ABR transport crate and the ABR medical box.
The little bear is male and weighs 11 pounds (4.99kg). Generally, he is in good health, but very small for his age. He and all of our other cubs will be 10 months old late next week. No one knows what happened to his mother bear or why he was alone high in a tree for three days.
ABR Bear 425 ties some records that we would rather not tie. He is the 36th bear of the ABR Class of 2024. He will also be the 29th bear currently onsite at the ABR bear facility. We reached these numbers in both 2011 and 2015. Both of those years were famine years in our area. A lack of natural foods for bears and other wildlife to eat always drives large numbers of cubs to ABR for assistance. This year is NOT a famine year in our area. There are plenty of acorns for the bears and other critters. This year, the numbers have been driven by human-bear conflict. Ten of our cubs were orphaned when their mothers were euthanized after severe incidents of conflict with humans. Another thirteen of our cubs were orphaned when either their mothers or the cubs themselves were hit by vehicles. It's been a tough year for cubs, for our ABR staff, and for our wildlife agency partners.
Thank you for keeping all of our cubs in your heart. Your support means the world to our little bears and to all of us. We couldn't do our work without YOU!
So thankful for ABR, what a terrible year it has been to be a bear.
So sad that humans are the main reason for 29 cubs in residence. We humans must do better at protecting the bears.
Dear Crockett Bear, you may not believe it, but you are safe and much loved. You will get good food and shelter. All you have to do is relax. All is well for you. 💖
That is what I was hoping, we are not seeing as many in KY.
Rags is still so little.😞😢 Grow, little one. Grow!
They look so much better than when they came in. I adopted Rags  and the picture that I got it doesn’t even look like the same bear I was worried he wasn’t going to make it. I’m so happy to see him doing so well him and his brother also.
ABR Daily Update: November 14, 2024-A Bear’s Resilience 🐻💪
Weather: 57°F (14°C) Humidity 84%, Cloudy☁️
We talk a lot about bears and their immense strength and resiliency. Able to survive in the wild with lost paws, limbs and other injuries that would surely keep any one of us at home, tucked away in the comfort of our beds - a luxury that wildlife cannot afford. We have also seen it time and time again with the cubs that pass through our facility. Cubs that once arrived facing malnutrition, blood transfusions, and even emergency surgeries are able to make a full recovery that turns them right back around and running from an ABR transport crate back into the wild.
What a beautifully fascinating contrast it is that the place where a bear most belongs is also the place least forgiving. The most recent example of this contrast has been witnessed right in our own backyard, at ABR Executive Director, Dana Dodd‘s cabin. The first video below shows a bear cub that was captured on Dana’s ring camera favoring one of its legs. Dana reports that this cub and its bear family have been seen passing through the area often and the pictured cub maintained a bad limp for a long time. While we don’t know what happened to this cub or how it ended up with a limp in the first place, we DO know that the best place for this cub is still with its mother in the wild, injured or not.
In the second video below, you can see the same bear family passing through on Monday of this week. This time, no limping cubs. 🙌 We are very happy for this bear family who will undoubtedly be denning up together this winter. Speaking of hardiness, our 28 own hardy bear cubs are all doing very well. Rags even joined his brother outside yesterday!! Tori will feature them in tomorrow’s Facebook Live. Thank you for helping us help bears when they need a little extra care. ☺️
🗓Our 2025 calendars are available for purchase at our online store along with other items unique to ABR. We’ sorry, but orders are restricted to the USA only. Please click on the link below. appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/
Thank you for sharing to story with us. It’s heartwarming to see this Cub was able to overcome its injury without any human intervention. ♥️
I’m glad that Rags joined Scruffy outside! These two rascals have been great entertainment while we worried about their health and future. ♥️🐻
We had a yearling a few years ago that passed through our yard putting little to no pressure on a front paw and crying. We called TWRA who advised us to call back if he returned. But we then started seeing him limping, and finally walking somewhat "pigeon toed" but seemed to be well healed.
It is amazing how they can be so resilient. ❤🐻❤×28
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ABR BearWise Update - November 20th 2024
For today’s post, we urge you to watch the below video from WVLT News. ABR’s Operations Director, Greg Grieco, has spent the last couple of months working with reporters to craft a complete picture of the challenges black bears are facing in eastern Tennessee. This is great progress for our community, for bear cubs, and for BearWise efforts.
THANK YOU to WVLT for working with ABR to highlight this important issue and THANK YOU to all of YOU!! This is no doubt a result of your endless support and efforts to help us spread BearWise messaging. Change takes time, but change IS happening. 🐻👏 All of our cubs are doing well. Curator Tori will hold Facebook Live tomorrow, Thursday, November 21st at 12:30PM eastern. ... See MoreSee Less
50 CommentsComment on Facebook
I love that more awareness is being made on this issue. I don’t live in bear country. It breaks my heart for the bears. I do think that more expensive fines may be the key. Especially for those who are intentionally feeding the bears, which I have seen on social media. Which is so sad. One persons page was very clear, she knew she was doing wrong. She had the ability to communicate turned off. (I didn’t bother reporting her, only because I have reported people in the past for other issues, little to nothing was done.) Ever since finding ABR many years ago. I went from someone who was very fearful of bears (which is a really long story- not for today.) Someone with a deep respect and love for bears, especially black bears. He. I can I share a try to spread awareness in hopes of helping. Thank you ABR for all you are currently doing and have done and will continue to do for the bears.
We’re also seeing more bears in non bear areas due to loss of habitat Stop building
They're hungry, you built your houses in they're hunting grounds.... They were there first.
View more comments
November 19, 2024: Rain Bath
All the outdoor cubs enjoyed a much needed shower today. Everyone was high in the treetops this morning and this afternoon, they've been through the drip-dry cycle. It's continued to rain throughout the day, so the bears have made themselves a bit scarce for the cameras.
Our newest arrival, Crockett Bear is settling in well. Curators have noticed a few interesting tidbits about Crockett. First, he's eliminated several roundworms. The worm meds are accomplishing their mission! Second, Crockett is mostly a nocturnal creature. He sleeps all day and has become much more active at night. Gradually, he's eating well. We're sure that he feels a whole lot better without the nasty parasites.
Scruffy and Rags continue to improve. The Curators have commented that Rags is a "new bear" now that he's ventured outdoors. Rags is smaller than his brother, but now, he tends to insist on getting his way with food bowls and such. Little Rags Bear has learned that Scruffy always heads straight for the peanut butter. While Scruff licks the peanut butter, Rags heads to the bowl to get first choice of his favorites. Smart little Rags!
ABR has been asked to be the Grand Marshal of the Townsend Christmas Parade this year. We hope you will come out to see the festivities on the afternoon of December 1st.
If the ABR 2025 Cubby Calendar, the ABR Logo Ornament or the 2024 Tim Weberding "For The Bears" ornament are on your holiday wish list, be sure to snag them from the store very soon! Supplies are limited. For anyone who missed the Jillie Eves Cubby Holiday Cards, we've added a small number of them back to the online and physical stores. They won't last long!
Link to the Cubby Calendar:
appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/2025-abr-cubby-calendar
Link to the Logo Ornament:
appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/2024-abr-logo-metal-ornament
Link to the For The Bears Ornament:
appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/2024-for-the-bears-wooden-ornament
Link to the Jillie Eves Cubby Holiday Cards:
appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/holiday-cards-by-jillie-eves-artist
Thank you for keeping all 29 of our cubs in your heart. You give them a second chance at life in the wild. You provide the "Bear Necessities".
appalachianbearrescue.org/2024-bear-necessities-campaign/ ... See MoreSee Less
39 CommentsComment on Facebook
Got an unexpected package from ABR today, my husband surprised me with some items for my birthday, included was the ABR calendar, which is beautiful as always.
Such big healthy looking bears. I had to chuckle when reading about Rags pulling one over on Scruffy by letting Scruffy lick the peanut butter while Rags goes straight to the bowl to eat. Smart little bear. I am sure Crockett will continue to improve the more of those parasites he gets rid of. I think it is awesome that ABR has been asked to be the Grand Marshall of the Townsend Christmas Parade. Well deserved honor! 🙏🏻🐻♥️x29 plus curators
I wonder if crockett’s mom left him on the tree for the day while she goes off to sleep then they move around at night? 3x in a row.
View more comments
ABR Daily Update-November 18, 2024-The Road to Independence 🐻
Weather: 70F (21C) Humidity 53%, Sunny 🌞
The cubs in our four wild enclosures are behaving as they would if they were still in the wild; they are eating as much as they can in preparation for winter. However, there is one major difference: all twenty-nine of our cubs, whether in the enclosures or in Hartley House, should still be with their respective mothers. We make a poor substitute for a mother bear, but we can provide the cubs with the food, space, and time they need to develop the size and skills necessary for survival in the wild.
The Outside Cubs are ready; everything they need to know about being a bear is instinctual. They know how to forage, find a den, and hibernate. Additionally, they have enough fat stored to see them through the winter. Crockett, Rags, and Scruffy possess the skills—they lived in the wild longer than any of our other residents—but they just need to gain more size.
The curators are still determining how to manage our three smallest cubs. Crockett is in the early stages of his recovery and sleeps a lot. Once he finishes his medication and gains some weight, they may introduce him to Rags and Scruffy. We will keep you informed at every step of the way. 🐻🐻🐻❤️
🗓️Our 2025 calendars are available for purchase at our online store along with other items unique to ABR. We’ sorry, but orders are restricted to the USA only. Please click on the link below.
appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/
❤️Please consider donating to Appalachian Bear Rescue’s Room in Your Heart Campaign.
appalachianbearrescue.org/room-in-your-heart-campaign/
🎉Our Visitor & Education Center at Trillium Cove is open! Please click on the link for more information:
appalachianbearrescue.org/contact-us/
🛑bearwise.org offers excellent information on what black bears are up to at this time of year and what to do if you hike or live in “Bear Country”.
*We post one update daily, seven days a week. ... See MoreSee Less
22 CommentsComment on Facebook
Nothing can substitute for a real Momma Bear, but ABR is definitely the next best thing for cubs and yearlings needing a hand up! I hope that there will be time for the last three cubs to get to know each other before they return to their solitary lives in the wild. Little bears need other little bears at least for a while 🙏🏻🐻♥️x29 plus curators
Every one of you at ABR does an amazing job!! Those bears hit the jackpot, even if they don’t tell you themselves. It’s such a pleasure to have the opportunity to watch the cubs chubbify in your care. I am grateful to feel a small part of the good you all do. ♥️♥️🐻🐻🙏🏻🙏🏻
So glad all chonks are doing well, whether in meerkat or flying squirrel form 🤣 Great to see Scruffy and Rags doing well and sleeping and eating well! Thank y’all for all you do for our precious bears 🐻💕
View more comments
ABR Daily Update-November 17, 2024- Cubs’ Progress 🐻
Weather: 72F (22C) Humidity 40%, Sunny 🌞
Crockett, our smallest and most recent arrival, is doing well. The vets informed us that he has a urinary tract infection, so he’ll be on antibiotics for a few days. He’s an exhausted little bear, and everything is strange to him. Today, it took him a while to wake up and approach his bowl of meds (containing delicious honey). Curator Seth scattered a few grapes to lure him toward the bowl, which seemed to work. Crockett took his time going into the adjoining room, but once he did, he found and drank his bowl of bear milk replacement formula. Good cubby! 🐻👏
Rags and Scruffy, his neighbors, enjoy living in Acclimation Pen #4 so much that they refused to come inside and hid in the culvert den. The curators want them to eat inside Hartley House so confined their food bowls to Room #3; if the food is there, the cubs eventually come inside. Scruffy is a goofy little bear; he loves to play and eat. When Rags has had enough of his brother, he tells him, and Scruffy respects his wishes. The good news is that Rags isn’t pacing nearly as much; he’s taken to sitting in the firehouse hammock and will even let Scruffy sit with him. The curators are pleased with their progress and patience.🐻
The rest of the cubs in residence (we have 29 in total) are thriving and eating lots of acorns, apples, and whatever they can find in their enclosures. The cubs in WE#3, famous for "moonscaping" their enclosure, have found a new location for exploratory excavation. We don’t know what they’re digging for, and we’re not asking.🤔
🗓️Our 2025 calendars are available for purchase at our online store along with other items unique to ABR. We’ sorry, but orders are restricted to the USA only. Please click on the link below.
appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/
❤️Please consider donating to Appalachian Bear Rescue’s Room in Your Heart Campaign.
appalachianbearrescue.org/room-in-your-heart-campaign/
🎉Our Visitor & Education Center at Trillium Cove is open! Please click on the link for more information:
appalachianbearrescue.org/contact-us/
🛑bearwise.org offers excellent information on what black bears are up to at this time of year and what to do if you hike or live in “Bear Country”.
*We post one update daily, seven days a week. ... See MoreSee Less
31 CommentsComment on Facebook
Lots of encouraging and entertaining news this afternoon. I am sure Crockett will feel MUCH better once that UTI is cleared. Glad to see that Rags isn’t pacing as much. As for the outside cubs, they may strike oil with all that digging, before time for them to leave! 🙏🏻🐻♥️x29 plus curators
Oh how I love to see all of them prospering, growing, gaining weight, and being so healthy. God Bless all of the curators who take care of these beautiful creatures. ABR has had their hands full for a long time with so many cubs, but they take it in stride and do all they can, so all of the cubbies can eventually return to where they belong, the wild.
Little Crockett is going to be OK I do believe. And glad Rags sets his big brother straight when play time is over 🤣 . Ruffy Scruffy going to learn that dynamite Rags comes in a small package.
View more comments
ABR Daily Update-November 16, 2024-Crockett and our other Cubs. 🐻
Weather: 61F (16C) Humidity 55%, Sunny 🌞
Crockett Bear, our recent arrival, had a relatively good night in Hartley House. Rags and Scruffy, who live next door, refused to shift over to give Crockett an additional room. This morning, Curator Katrina was forced to slip a bowl of honey with deworming medication into Room #1, which Crockett ate with pleasure. Katrina reports he's having difficulty with peanuts (he has a broken baby incisor tooth), so they’ve switched him to bear milk replacement formula. He’s also showing a great deal of interest in the boys next door.
Our cubs remind us of Russian nesting dolls, each one larger than the one before it. Crockett, now our smallest cub, weighs 11 pounds (4.99 kg). At their last weighing on November 5, Rags weighed 20.4 pounds (9.25 kg) and Scruffy 37 pounds (16.78 kg). By now, Rags is twice as heavy as Crockett, Scruffy is twice as heavy as Rags, and the cubs outside are likely twice as heavy as Scruffy.🪆🐻
Rags and Scruffy have access to Room #3 and the Outdoor Acclimation Pen in Hartley House. It took Rags a long time to venture outside, but once he did, he hated to come back in. He’s very different from his brother in size and temperament; he’s more cautious and timid, both attracted to and disturbed by the outside. He’s starting to pace; the curator hopes this is temporary and will diminish as he gets used to life in the Acclimation Pen. Scruffy seems content inside or outside, as long as there’s something to eat. The brothers have decided they like apples after all; Scruffy in particular vacuums them up. 🐻🐻🍎
The cubs in the Wild Enclosures are wandering in and out of their respective Acclimation Pens. They’re getting used to eating inside, which will make it easier to trap them on release day, still several weeks away. Thanks to your generosity, they’re big, beautiful cubs.❤️
🗓️Our 2025 calendars are available for purchase at our online store along with other items unique to ABR. We’ sorry, but orders are restricted to the USA only. Please click on the link below.
appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/
❤️Please consider donating to Appalachian Bear Rescue’s Room in Your Heart Campaign.
appalachianbearrescue.org/room-in-your-heart-campaign/
🎉Our Visitor & Education Center at Trillium Cove is open! Please click on the link for more information:
appalachianbearrescue.org/contact-us/
🛑bearwise.org offers excellent information on what black bears are up to at this time of year and what to do if you hike or live in “Bear Country”.
*We post one update daily, seven days a week. ... See MoreSee Less
40 CommentsComment on Facebook
I misread one sentence as “Curator Katrina was forced to slip a bowl of money with deworming meds into room 1” and I thought, geez, these cubs are turning into little con artists, needing to be bribed with financial incentives. 🙄
Wasn’t there one cub that couldn’t tolerate the sight of the outdoors and had to have it blocked off? I wonder if Rags is similar.
Do they get released near where they were found? Or do they get released all in the same place? And do they stay in their familiar groups?
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November 15, 2024: ABR Newsflash - Bear 425 Arrives
Late this afternoon, ABR received a call from TWRA. A citizen in Greene County, Tennessee, had reported a small cub high in the same tree for three days. No adult bears were seen in the area. TWRA officers were able to capture the little bear and called ABR for assistance. The officers met Curator Jamie and transferred the cub to ABR. Curator Jamie transported the bear to The UTCVM-University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine for a medical exam. Curator Katrina met them at UTCVM with an ABR transport crate and the ABR medical box.
The little bear is male and weighs 11 pounds (4.99kg). Generally, he is in good health, but very small for his age. He and all of our other cubs will be 10 months old late next week. No one knows what happened to his mother bear or why he was alone high in a tree for three days.
ABR Bear 425 ties some records that we would rather not tie. He is the 36th bear of the ABR Class of 2024. He will also be the 29th bear currently onsite at the ABR bear facility. We reached these numbers in both 2011 and 2015. Both of those years were famine years in our area. A lack of natural foods for bears and other wildlife to eat always drives large numbers of cubs to ABR for assistance. This year is NOT a famine year in our area. There are plenty of acorns for the bears and other critters. This year, the numbers have been driven by human-bear conflict. Ten of our cubs were orphaned when their mothers were euthanized after severe incidents of conflict with humans. Another thirteen of our cubs were orphaned when either their mothers or the cubs themselves were hit by vehicles. It's been a tough year for cubs, for our ABR staff, and for our wildlife agency partners.
Thank you for keeping all of our cubs in your heart. Your support means the world to our little bears and to all of us. We couldn't do our work without YOU!
Please help us welcome ABR 425 Crockett Bear. He will be in Hartley House Room 1 for tonight and we will evaluate the best plan tomorrow morning.
appalachianbearrescue.org/2024-bear-necessities-campaign/ ... See MoreSee Less
297 CommentsComment on Facebook
So thankful for ABR, what a terrible year it has been to be a bear.
So sad that humans are the main reason for 29 cubs in residence. We humans must do better at protecting the bears.
Dear Crockett Bear, you may not believe it, but you are safe and much loved. You will get good food and shelter. All you have to do is relax. All is well for you. 💖
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Happy Friday! Please join Curator Tori for an update on ABR's bear cubs. ... See MoreSee Less
25 CommentsComment on Facebook
That is what I was hoping, we are not seeing as many in KY.
Rags is still so little.😞😢 Grow, little one. Grow!
They look so much better than when they came in. I adopted Rags  and the picture that I got it doesn’t even look like the same bear I was worried he wasn’t going to make it. I’m so happy to see him doing so well him and his brother also.
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ABR Daily Update: November 14, 2024-A Bear’s Resilience 🐻💪
Weather: 57°F (14°C) Humidity 84%, Cloudy☁️
We talk a lot about bears and their immense strength and resiliency. Able to survive in the wild with lost paws, limbs and other injuries that would surely keep any one of us at home, tucked away in the comfort of our beds - a luxury that wildlife cannot afford. We have also seen it time and time again with the cubs that pass through our facility. Cubs that once arrived facing malnutrition, blood transfusions, and even emergency surgeries are able to make a full recovery that turns them right back around and running from an ABR transport crate back into the wild.
What a beautifully fascinating contrast it is that the place where a bear most belongs is also the place least forgiving. The most recent example of this contrast has been witnessed right in our own backyard, at ABR Executive Director, Dana Dodd‘s cabin. The first video below shows a bear cub that was captured on Dana’s ring camera favoring one of its legs. Dana reports that this cub and its bear family have been seen passing through the area often and the pictured cub maintained a bad limp for a long time. While we don’t know what happened to this cub or how it ended up with a limp in the first place, we DO know that the best place for this cub is still with its mother in the wild, injured or not.
In the second video below, you can see the same bear family passing through on Monday of this week. This time, no limping cubs. 🙌 We are very happy for this bear family who will undoubtedly be denning up together this winter. Speaking of hardiness, our 28 own hardy bear cubs are all doing very well. Rags even joined his brother outside yesterday!! Tori will feature them in tomorrow’s Facebook Live. Thank you for helping us help bears when they need a little extra care. ☺️
🗓Our 2025 calendars are available for purchase at our online store along with other items unique to ABR. We’ sorry, but orders are restricted to the USA only. Please click on the link below.
appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/
❤️Please consider donating to Appalachian Bear Rescue’s Room in Your Heart Campaign.
appalachianbearrescue.org/room-in-your-heart.../
🎉Our Visitor & Education Center at Trillium Cove is open! Please click on the link for more information:
appalachianbearrescue.org/contact-us/
🛑bearwise.org offers excellent information on what black bears are up to at this time of year and what to do if you hike or live in “Bear Country”.
*We post one update daily, seven days a week. ... See MoreSee Less
24 CommentsComment on Facebook
Thank you for sharing to story with us. It’s heartwarming to see this Cub was able to overcome its injury without any human intervention. ♥️ I’m glad that Rags joined Scruffy outside! These two rascals have been great entertainment while we worried about their health and future. ♥️🐻
We had a yearling a few years ago that passed through our yard putting little to no pressure on a front paw and crying. We called TWRA who advised us to call back if he returned. But we then started seeing him limping, and finally walking somewhat "pigeon toed" but seemed to be well healed.
It is amazing how they can be so resilient. ❤🐻❤×28
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44 CommentsComment on Facebook
Tori, will y'all get a video of the release of the out of state bears when y'all release them back in to the wild?
Thanks Tori and enjoy your week
Are you still there or back in MI?
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