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.
ABR Daily Update-October 21, 2024-Big and Small 🐻🐻
Weather: 72F (22C) Humidity 42%, Sunny 🌞
Life in the wild is harsh, and survival depends on the daily effort to find food. Scruffy and Rag’s family was having a tough time finding enough to eat long before the siblings arrived at ABR. Bears are competitive, even cubs; if there’s little to eat, one sibling often takes what there is—sometimes all of it. This may be one factor that accounts for the difference in size between the brothers.
Our friends may remember Annie and her brother, Oscar, who came to ABR in 2013. Oscar was a giant compared to his sister, and because they had been food-deprived for so long, Oscar treated any food we offered as if it were the last he’d ever get. He took it all, intimidating Annie, and preventing her from eating, even though there was always more than enough. The curators separated them, introducing Annie to Boston (a gentle cub) who she lived with until she grew big enough to hold her own with Oscar.🐻🐻
Scruffy isn’t physically preventing Rags from eating, but he’s much bigger and recovering much faster. He races from bowl to bowl, vacuuming up the food before Rags can get to it. Last night, Curator Tom decided to separate the brothers at feeding time to give the much slower Rags a chance. The cubs weren’t as upset by their separation as we’d expected, and as soon as they finished eating, they were reunited. The curators are watching closely to ensure Rags gets all the food he wants. At present, they don’t need to separate the cubs; as competitive as Scruffy might be, he needs Rags just as much as Rags needs him. This afternoon, the cubs foraged together in the Cubby Pool for nuts and fell asleep side by side. 🐻🐻💤
Our other 26 cubs are doing exceptional well, and we’ll feature them in tomorrow’s post.
🗓️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 all you folks do and having the background knowledge to understand what you see. And having the flexibility to adjust!
Thank you so much Curator Tom for making sure that little Rags got his share of the food. I’m sure Scruffy is not intentionally trying to take food from his brother but after what they went through before their arrival at ABR I’m sure Scruffy is trying to gorge himself with everything he can get. Oscar and Annie were before my time but it looks like Annie really blossomed once she was moved in with Boston Bear. By the end of her stay she looked as stout as brother Oscar!
🙏🏻🐻♥️x28 plus curators
I’m so glad you do everything to help these babes grow and thrive. Thank you.
ABR Daily Update-October 20, 2024- Scruffy Mischief and Rags the Brave 🐻🐻
Weather: 71F (22C) Humidity 38%, Sunny 🌞
Last night, Scruffy Bear tried to overturn the leaf-filled pool in Room #2 of Hartley House. He would have succeeded had he not fallen asleep during the project. We believe this is one reason why black bears don’t rule the world; they snooze at the most inopportune moments. His brother Rags, however, was more active than he’s been since his arrival. He explored the room and even scaled the climby thing, going up AND down. That’s not much of a feat for a normal almost nine-month-old cub, but Rags has been through a lot. He showed the curators that he’s in control of his limbs and that they will carry him where he wants to go. While Scruffy snoozed, Rags stuffed himself with food: Fox Valley Bear Milk Replacement formula, shelled peanuts, pecans, walnuts, honey, peanut butter, and a sliced apple that was left untouched. It was a good evening for him and for us. Curator Jamie reported that Rags didn’t freeze in fear this afternoon when the he raised the gate to Room #2; Rags scooted over of his own accord to join Scruffy. 🐻🐻👏
The other twenty-six cubs in residence are getting to be big little bears. They’re dining on pears, apples, acorns, chestnuts, and whatever poor unfortunates they can dig out of the ground. Their fur is thick, so it’s hard to tell where the coat ends and the bear begins. Thank you for helping us help them. ❤️
🗓️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/
Once upon a time, I worked as a public health nurse. We would treat for worms, just taking the customer’s word for it. They usually had seen the pin worms or the round worms. They would sometimes bring a roundworm in in a plastic butter cup with a lid. To show us what kind. I can’t imagine a pile of worms like what’s been coming out of little Rags. No wonder he wasn’t well. Why do they seem to affect some bears worse? They pretty much all have parasites like these. Is that correct?
Appalachian Bear Rescue what will happen next year when it is time for fruit not nuts to be available in the wild for the two newbies? Could this anti fruit sentiment be part of the reason for their size? Or in the wild would hunger force them to eat the fruit?
Did my donation come through? I’ll try resending if you didn’t receive my donation.
ABR Daily Update-October 19, 2024-Growing Stronger: Rags and Scruffy at Hartley House 🐻🐻
Weather: 70F (21C), Humidity 37%, Sunny 🌞
Rags and Scruffy, our recent arrivals, continue to improve at Hartley House. Scruffy, the larger of the siblings, is recovering more quickly; he’s energetic and eager to play. His brother, Rags, is much smaller and had a rougher time before coming to ABR. He needs plenty of sleep and nutrition. Currently, Scruffy is content to wrestle with Not-a-Polar Bear while leaving his brother to rest. Both bears are heavy snoozers and are tolerating captivity well.
Scruffy needs no encouragement to change rooms when the curators come to clean. He’s very food-motivated and scampers to Room #2 for breakfast. Rags, however, is too scared to move and requires a little encouragement to get going. Understanding this, the curators keep their interactions with the cubs to a minimum to reduce Rags’ stress.
The brothers seem to enjoy Fox Valley Bear Milk Replacement Formula mixed with a bit of honey, as well as shelled pecans, shelled walnuts, peanuts, and acorns—also drizzled with honey. Delicious! We will provide them with as much food and time as they need to become healthy little bears.🐻🐻🌰 🥜🍯
Our other twenty-six cubs are thriving and eating as much as we can offer them. Thanks to your generosity, we can offer them all they want!❤️
🗓️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/
So happy to hear Rags and Scruffy improving greatly. Door you think they will winter at ABR since they ate so tiny and frail?
Will all the bears stay through the winter or get released?
Rags is so tiny compared to Scruffy. I'm so grateful to everyone who persevered in rescuing him and getting him into ABR's care. Hopefully, now that his parasite load has been diminished, he'll start to thrive.
Rags and Scruffy, our two recent arrivals, have improved considerably. The curators found only one worm today, which is a good sign that the first round of deworming medicine worked. The siblings are more playful: Rags teases his brother, and Scruffy is not above retaliating. These cubs come with quirks (what bear doesn’t?). They still won’t eat fruit. The curators tried smearing honey on a few pieces, and the cubs were very happy to lick it off and leave the rest behind. We’ve tried chopped pears, apples, blueberries, blackberries, and cubby sauce, yet the result is always a firm snub. The brothers enjoy honey, peanut butter, acorns, and peanuts; they will receive plenty of the latter but only a little honey since too many sweets are as bad for little bears as they are for little humans. 🍯
Speaking of dietary quirks, Miss Peeps Bear is miffed that she’s only getting acorns and chestnuts when she definitely ordered peanuts from the menu. The curators report seeing her wait at feeding time, hoping that the rain of nuts falling into her enclosure will include peanuts. When it doesn’t, she grudgingly dines on acorns. Thanks to your generosity, we have plenty of peanuts; however, acorns are what she would be eating if she were in the forest. Acorns are highly prized by the other cubs, and thanks to the kindness of our friends, we’re able to offer them—even to quirky little bears. Miss Peeps, peanuts will return to the menu forthwith. 🐻🥜
🗓️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/
ABR Daily Update: October 17, 2024-Resilient Cubs 🐻🐻
Weather: 60F (16C) Humidity 38%, Sunny 🌞
Rags and Scruffy, our two recent arrivals, are doing well. They have two rooms in Hartley House and are still getting used to their new world. Both cubs resumed taking their deworming medicine, but Rags, the smaller of the two, is expelling parasites in quantities we've never seen coming from a bear cub, including a rat-tailed maggot. 🤢It's become graphically obvious why he and his brother are so small and confirms our opinion that neither would have survived to see the new year. The car accident that took the life of their mother may have saved theirs.
Our new Facebook friends may not be familiar with how the curators medicate multiple cubs housed in the same building: the little bears are separated, one in each room, so the curators can be sure each cub gets the right dose of medicine and eats all of it. Today, Scruffy decided he wasn't interested in taking his medicine, which is frustrating since this was to be his last dose for two weeks. While the curators can separate the brothers for a little while, the bears become very upset, and it's better to reunite them and attempt the procedure again later in the day.
The curators are watching the cubs carefully; the parasites the little bears have been carrying, along with the prolonged malnutrition they caused, may have affected them neurologically. We're watching to see how the cubs move, how they climb, and how they interact with each other and their food. At present, the curators are pleased with the siblings' progress. Black bears are resilient beings.🐻🐻
Our other twenty-six cubs are doing very well. We'll focus on them in tomorrow's post.
🗓️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/
Today was my last day of vacation in Townsend . I stopped in to ABR to do a little shopping . Picked up a T shirt , two calendars and adopted Rags and Scruffy . Thank you for all you do ! I’ll be back in May 2025 .
I know it’s too early but are you going to let us know when Scruffy and Rags will be ready for Adoption?
So are you saying they wouldn't have survived even with their mother?
October 17th, 2024 - Defender Service Awards FINAL DAY OF VOTING
Today is the LAST DAY to help our neighbors in North Carolina win the Defender Service Awards Contest in their respective categories. Thank you to everyone who has been following along and voting daily! Winners will be announced no later than December 1st, 2024. We know how game-changing it was for Appalachian Bear Rescue to win the Service Awards in 2022. Now, it's Appalachian Wildlife Refuge and Linville-Central Rescue Squad's turn! 🎉
I am proud to say I voted every single day in each of the six categories with my heart & praying especially for our two local agencies: Linville-Central Rescue Squad & Appalachian Wildlife Refuge to win!
Voted and again thanks for the reminders. Please remind us again Nov 23 when the winners are announced.
This was a wonderfully generous offer by Land Rover - and a good way of raising awareness of all the committed, hard working organisations so dedicated to conservation and community upliftment. Bravo Land Rover! 👏👏👏👏👏
October 16th, 2024 - Defender Service Awards Voting Day #15
There's only two more days left in the 2024 Defender Service Awards Competition!! Please make sure to cast your votes today and tomorrow to help six nonprofit organizations win customized Land Rover Defender 130 vehicles and $25,000 cash to aid them in their missions and recognize all of the great work that they do!
October 15, 2024: Yucky Worms (Note Photo May Be Disturbing!)
Worms are not a favorite topic for many of us, but getting rid of worms and other parasites is a very important part of our care protocol for cubs. Deworming wildlife can be a bit controversial. Bears will pick up parasites again as soon as they are back in their natural world. All bears have parasites. A big healthy bear usually isn't harmed by the parasite load. So why use deworming meds?
Little cubs in our care are another story. The parasites consume all the nutrients in the foods that we provide, so it's difficult to get a cub on a path to become a chubby cubby ready for release.
Our newest cubs 423 Scruffy and 424 Rags have been through a lot. They were orphaned when their mother bear was hit by a vehicle. Then they were temporarily separated when Scruffy was trapped, but Rags wouldn't enter a trap. They have been back together since Friday night, but it may feel like they were abducted by "aliens" and taken to a very unfamiliar place. They've both been to UTCVM-University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine for medical checkups. That trip requires harsh immobilization drugs. Rags received iron and antibiotic injections, both capable of upsetting a tummy. Then they both received deworming meds capable of further distressing a cubby tummy.
It a lot for a little bear, but this is the only way we can get them on a path to chubbiness. With your help, these little bears will soon be chubby and ready for a second chance at life in the wild. We can't thank you enough for all you do for us and all you do for them.
Today, we share excepts from the Curator Notes. We use these notes to communicate the plan of treatment with all of our staff members. We thought you might be interested:
At intake exams at UTVCM #423 and #424 were declared small and underweight but not emaciated. They were prescribed a round of deworming including Praziquantel and Fenbendazole. Both cubs received the appropriate dose of Praziquantel and their first dose of Fenbendazole. Upon curators noticing cubs were sluggish (particularly #424), it was decided that cubs should not receive the next 2 doses of Fenbendazole until they were more acclimated to Hartley House and ABR. The sluggishness was likely due to stress as well as the initial dose of dewormer and the introduction of formula. That is a lot for a little bear's tummy!
Since the first dose of dewormer, a plethora of worms of all kinds have been found in their scat on multiple occasions, particularly from #424. This would certainly be one reason that explains the small sizes of these 9-month old cubs.
Vets were contacted and it was decided that cubs can have their next two doses of Fenbendazole. #423 gets 2.9ml and #424 gets 2.1ml . In addition to these 2 doses, they will get another round of 3 days of Fenbendazole in 2 weeks. *Note that the cubs do not seem to have any interest in fruit and/or cubby sauce so their meds should be mixed in straight honey. *
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR SCRUFFY AND RAGS AND FOR ALL 28 CUBS CURRENTLY IN OUR CARE. ALL OUR CUBS ARE DOING WELL. THANKS ALSO FOR TOLERATING A YUCKY DISCUSSION ABOUT WORMS AND PARASITES. WE COULDN'T DO OUR WORK WITHOUT YOU! appalachianbearrescue.org/room-in-your-heart-campaign/... See MoreSee Less
Oh my! Such a lot of new stuff for tiny cubs to sort out. I’m glad the deworming medication is working and hopefully 🤞 they will begin to put on weight. Would the wee babes enjoy some bear diet drizzled in honey? 🍯 Or maybe some Honey Nut Cheerios drizzled in honey?
That’s an awful lot of worms! Makes me wonder if they would have survived if they had been able to stay with their mom.
Why did Rags need antibiotics? Sorry if I missed it
ABR Daily Update-October 21, 2024-Big and Small 🐻🐻
Weather: 72F (22C) Humidity 42%, Sunny 🌞
Life in the wild is harsh, and survival depends on the daily effort to find food. Scruffy and Rag’s family was having a tough time finding enough to eat long before the siblings arrived at ABR. Bears are competitive, even cubs; if there’s little to eat, one sibling often takes what there is—sometimes all of it. This may be one factor that accounts for the difference in size between the brothers.
Our friends may remember Annie and her brother, Oscar, who came to ABR in 2013. Oscar was a giant compared to his sister, and because they had been food-deprived for so long, Oscar treated any food we offered as if it were the last he’d ever get. He took it all, intimidating Annie, and preventing her from eating, even though there was always more than enough. The curators separated them, introducing Annie to Boston (a gentle cub) who she lived with until she grew big enough to hold her own with Oscar.🐻🐻
Scruffy isn’t physically preventing Rags from eating, but he’s much bigger and recovering much faster. He races from bowl to bowl, vacuuming up the food before Rags can get to it. Last night, Curator Tom decided to separate the brothers at feeding time to give the much slower Rags a chance. The cubs weren’t as upset by their separation as we’d expected, and as soon as they finished eating, they were reunited. The curators are watching closely to ensure Rags gets all the food he wants. At present, they don’t need to separate the cubs; as competitive as Scruffy might be, he needs Rags just as much as Rags needs him. This afternoon, the cubs foraged together in the Cubby Pool for nuts and fell asleep side by side. 🐻🐻💤
Our other 26 cubs are doing exceptional well, and we’ll feature them in tomorrow’s post.
🗓️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
38 CommentsComment on Facebook
Thank you for all you folks do and having the background knowledge to understand what you see. And having the flexibility to adjust!
Thank you so much Curator Tom for making sure that little Rags got his share of the food. I’m sure Scruffy is not intentionally trying to take food from his brother but after what they went through before their arrival at ABR I’m sure Scruffy is trying to gorge himself with everything he can get. Oscar and Annie were before my time but it looks like Annie really blossomed once she was moved in with Boston Bear. By the end of her stay she looked as stout as brother Oscar! 🙏🏻🐻♥️x28 plus curators
I’m so glad you do everything to help these babes grow and thrive. Thank you.
View more comments
ABR Daily Update-October 20, 2024- Scruffy Mischief and Rags the Brave 🐻🐻
Weather: 71F (22C) Humidity 38%, Sunny 🌞
Last night, Scruffy Bear tried to overturn the leaf-filled pool in Room #2 of Hartley House. He would have succeeded had he not fallen asleep during the project. We believe this is one reason why black bears don’t rule the world; they snooze at the most inopportune moments. His brother Rags, however, was more active than he’s been since his arrival. He explored the room and even scaled the climby thing, going up AND down. That’s not much of a feat for a normal almost nine-month-old cub, but Rags has been through a lot. He showed the curators that he’s in control of his limbs and that they will carry him where he wants to go. While Scruffy snoozed, Rags stuffed himself with food: Fox Valley Bear Milk Replacement formula, shelled peanuts, pecans, walnuts, honey, peanut butter, and a sliced apple that was left untouched. It was a good evening for him and for us. Curator Jamie reported that Rags didn’t freeze in fear this afternoon when the he raised the gate to Room #2; Rags scooted over of his own accord to join Scruffy. 🐻🐻👏
The other twenty-six cubs in residence are getting to be big little bears. They’re dining on pears, apples, acorns, chestnuts, and whatever poor unfortunates they can dig out of the ground. Their fur is thick, so it’s hard to tell where the coat ends and the bear begins. Thank you for helping us help them. ❤️
🗓️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
49 CommentsComment on Facebook
Once upon a time, I worked as a public health nurse. We would treat for worms, just taking the customer’s word for it. They usually had seen the pin worms or the round worms. They would sometimes bring a roundworm in in a plastic butter cup with a lid. To show us what kind. I can’t imagine a pile of worms like what’s been coming out of little Rags. No wonder he wasn’t well. Why do they seem to affect some bears worse? They pretty much all have parasites like these. Is that correct?
Appalachian Bear Rescue what will happen next year when it is time for fruit not nuts to be available in the wild for the two newbies? Could this anti fruit sentiment be part of the reason for their size? Or in the wild would hunger force them to eat the fruit?
Did my donation come through? I’ll try resending if you didn’t receive my donation.
View more comments
ABR Daily Update-October 19, 2024-Growing Stronger: Rags and Scruffy at Hartley House 🐻🐻
Weather: 70F (21C), Humidity 37%, Sunny 🌞
Rags and Scruffy, our recent arrivals, continue to improve at Hartley House. Scruffy, the larger of the siblings, is recovering more quickly; he’s energetic and eager to play. His brother, Rags, is much smaller and had a rougher time before coming to ABR. He needs plenty of sleep and nutrition. Currently, Scruffy is content to wrestle with Not-a-Polar Bear while leaving his brother to rest. Both bears are heavy snoozers and are tolerating captivity well.
Scruffy needs no encouragement to change rooms when the curators come to clean. He’s very food-motivated and scampers to Room #2 for breakfast. Rags, however, is too scared to move and requires a little encouragement to get going. Understanding this, the curators keep their interactions with the cubs to a minimum to reduce Rags’ stress.
The brothers seem to enjoy Fox Valley Bear Milk Replacement Formula mixed with a bit of honey, as well as shelled pecans, shelled walnuts, peanuts, and acorns—also drizzled with honey. Delicious! We will provide them with as much food and time as they need to become healthy little bears.🐻🐻🌰 🥜🍯
Our other twenty-six cubs are thriving and eating as much as we can offer them. Thanks to your generosity, we can offer them all they want!❤️
🗓️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
26 CommentsComment on Facebook
So happy to hear Rags and Scruffy improving greatly. Door you think they will winter at ABR since they ate so tiny and frail?
Will all the bears stay through the winter or get released?
Rags is so tiny compared to Scruffy. I'm so grateful to everyone who persevered in rescuing him and getting him into ABR's care. Hopefully, now that his parasite load has been diminished, he'll start to thrive.
View more comments
ABR Daily Update-October 18, 2024-Quirks 🐻🐻
Weather: 66F (19C) Humidity 37%, Sunny 🌞
Rags and Scruffy, our two recent arrivals, have improved considerably. The curators found only one worm today, which is a good sign that the first round of deworming medicine worked. The siblings are more playful: Rags teases his brother, and Scruffy is not above retaliating. These cubs come with quirks (what bear doesn’t?). They still won’t eat fruit. The curators tried smearing honey on a few pieces, and the cubs were very happy to lick it off and leave the rest behind. We’ve tried chopped pears, apples, blueberries, blackberries, and cubby sauce, yet the result is always a firm snub. The brothers enjoy honey, peanut butter, acorns, and peanuts; they will receive plenty of the latter but only a little honey since too many sweets are as bad for little bears as they are for little humans. 🍯
Speaking of dietary quirks, Miss Peeps Bear is miffed that she’s only getting acorns and chestnuts when she definitely ordered peanuts from the menu. The curators report seeing her wait at feeding time, hoping that the rain of nuts falling into her enclosure will include peanuts. When it doesn’t, she grudgingly dines on acorns. Thanks to your generosity, we have plenty of peanuts; however, acorns are what she would be eating if she were in the forest. Acorns are highly prized by the other cubs, and thanks to the kindness of our friends, we’re able to offer them—even to quirky little bears. Miss Peeps, peanuts will return to the menu forthwith. 🐻🥜
🗓️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
33 CommentsComment on Facebook
Will Rags and Scruffy stay with you over the winter since they're so tiny?
So thankful these two new cubs are doing so well. So many prayers for these little beautiful bears and for the people who care so much for them.
And pray tell, what is Miss Peeps going to eat when she’s out in the wild where peanuts really aren’t a thing?
View more comments
ABR Daily Update: October 17, 2024-Resilient Cubs 🐻🐻
Weather: 60F (16C) Humidity 38%, Sunny 🌞
Rags and Scruffy, our two recent arrivals, are doing well. They have two rooms in Hartley House and are still getting used to their new world. Both cubs resumed taking their deworming medicine, but Rags, the smaller of the two, is expelling parasites in quantities we've never seen coming from a bear cub, including a rat-tailed maggot. 🤢It's become graphically obvious why he and his brother are so small and confirms our opinion that neither would have survived to see the new year. The car accident that took the life of their mother may have saved theirs.
Our new Facebook friends may not be familiar with how the curators medicate multiple cubs housed in the same building: the little bears are separated, one in each room, so the curators can be sure each cub gets the right dose of medicine and eats all of it. Today, Scruffy decided he wasn't interested in taking his medicine, which is frustrating since this was to be his last dose for two weeks. While the curators can separate the brothers for a little while, the bears become very upset, and it's better to reunite them and attempt the procedure again later in the day.
The curators are watching the cubs carefully; the parasites the little bears have been carrying, along with the prolonged malnutrition they caused, may have affected them neurologically. We're watching to see how the cubs move, how they climb, and how they interact with each other and their food. At present, the curators are pleased with the siblings' progress. Black bears are resilient beings.🐻🐻
Our other twenty-six cubs are doing very well. We'll focus on them in tomorrow's post.
🚨It’s THE LAST DAY for voting!!!🚨
Please help the Linville-Central Rescue Squad win a brand new Land Rover Defender! You can vote once daily in each awards category. You can vote for them �HERE:
www.landroverusa.com/experiences/events-and-sponsorships/defender-service-awards/vote/search-and-...
You can vote for Appalachian Wildlife Refuge HERE:
www.landroverusa.com/experiences/events-and-sponsorships/defender-service-awards/vote/honorees.ht...
🗓️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
45 CommentsComment on Facebook
Today was my last day of vacation in Townsend . I stopped in to ABR to do a little shopping . Picked up a T shirt , two calendars and adopted Rags and Scruffy . Thank you for all you do ! I’ll be back in May 2025 .
I know it’s too early but are you going to let us know when Scruffy and Rags will be ready for Adoption?
So are you saying they wouldn't have survived even with their mother?
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October 17th, 2024 - Defender Service Awards FINAL DAY OF VOTING
Today is the LAST DAY to help our neighbors in North Carolina win the Defender Service Awards Contest in their respective categories. Thank you to everyone who has been following along and voting daily! Winners will be announced no later than December 1st, 2024. We know how game-changing it was for Appalachian Bear Rescue to win the Service Awards in 2022. Now, it's Appalachian Wildlife Refuge and Linville-Central Rescue Squad's turn! 🎉
You can vote for Linville-Central Rescue Squad HERE: www.landroverusa.com/experiences/events-and-sponsorships/defender-service-awards/vote/search-and-...
You can vote for Appalachian Wildlife Refuge HERE: www.landroverusa.com/experiences/events-and-sponsorships/defender-service-awards/vote/honorees.html ... See MoreSee Less
47 CommentsComment on Facebook
I am proud to say I voted every single day in each of the six categories with my heart & praying especially for our two local agencies: Linville-Central Rescue Squad & Appalachian Wildlife Refuge to win!
Voted and again thanks for the reminders. Please remind us again Nov 23 when the winners are announced.
This was a wonderfully generous offer by Land Rover - and a good way of raising awareness of all the committed, hard working organisations so dedicated to conservation and community upliftment. Bravo Land Rover! 👏👏👏👏👏
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Join Greg and Tori (from Spain!) for a Facebook Live update. 🐻 ... See MoreSee Less
47 CommentsComment on Facebook
I a,ways think back to Hartley Bear and how he looked more like a possum when he arrived versus what a handsome bear he was when he left ABR 🙏🏻🐻♥️
Congratulations Tori! Great job, Greg!
Jellybean and Duke are going to try to win Chubby Cubby for sure!
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October 16th, 2024 - Defender Service Awards Voting Day #15
There's only two more days left in the 2024 Defender Service Awards Competition!! Please make sure to cast your votes today and tomorrow to help six nonprofit organizations win customized Land Rover Defender 130 vehicles and $25,000 cash to aid them in their missions and recognize all of the great work that they do!
Appalachian Wildlife Refuge is competing in the Defender Service Honorees Category. You can vote for them HERE: www.landroverusa.com/experiences/events-and-sponsorships/defender-service-awards/vote/honorees.html
Linville-Central Rescue Squad is in the Search, Rescue & Emergency Support Services Category. It only takes a minute to vote! You can vote for them HERE: www.landroverusa.com/experiences/events-and-sponsorships/defender-service-awards/vote/search-and-... ... See MoreSee Less
24 CommentsComment on Facebook
Voted! Hope they both win! Thanks for the daily vote reminder. 🐻❤️🐻
Voted for both
Voted for both❤️😘❤️ Thanks again for these daily reminders!!
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October 15, 2024: Yucky Worms (Note Photo May Be Disturbing!)
Worms are not a favorite topic for many of us, but getting rid of worms and other parasites is a very important part of our care protocol for cubs. Deworming wildlife can be a bit controversial. Bears will pick up parasites again as soon as they are back in their natural world. All bears have parasites. A big healthy bear usually isn't harmed by the parasite load. So why use deworming meds?
Little cubs in our care are another story. The parasites consume all the nutrients in the foods that we provide, so it's difficult to get a cub on a path to become a chubby cubby ready for release.
Our newest cubs 423 Scruffy and 424 Rags have been through a lot. They were orphaned when their mother bear was hit by a vehicle. Then they were temporarily separated when Scruffy was trapped, but Rags wouldn't enter a trap. They have been back together since Friday night, but it may feel like they were abducted by "aliens" and taken to a very unfamiliar place. They've both been to UTCVM-University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine for medical checkups. That trip requires harsh immobilization drugs. Rags received iron and antibiotic injections, both capable of upsetting a tummy. Then they both received deworming meds capable of further distressing a cubby tummy.
It a lot for a little bear, but this is the only way we can get them on a path to chubbiness. With your help, these little bears will soon be chubby and ready for a second chance at life in the wild. We can't thank you enough for all you do for us and all you do for them.
Today, we share excepts from the Curator Notes. We use these notes to communicate the plan of treatment with all of our staff members. We thought you might be interested:
At intake exams at UTVCM #423 and #424 were declared small and underweight but not emaciated. They were prescribed a round of deworming including Praziquantel and Fenbendazole. Both cubs received the appropriate dose of Praziquantel and their first dose of Fenbendazole. Upon curators noticing cubs were sluggish (particularly #424), it was decided that cubs should not receive the next 2 doses of Fenbendazole until they were more acclimated to Hartley House and ABR. The sluggishness was likely due to stress as well as the initial dose of dewormer and the introduction of formula. That is a lot for a little bear's tummy!
Since the first dose of dewormer, a plethora of worms of all kinds have been found in their scat on multiple occasions, particularly from #424. This would certainly be one reason that explains the small sizes of these 9-month old cubs.
Vets were contacted and it was decided that cubs can have their next two doses of Fenbendazole. #423 gets 2.9ml and #424 gets 2.1ml . In addition to these 2 doses, they will get another round of 3 days of Fenbendazole in 2 weeks. *Note that the cubs do not seem to have any interest in fruit and/or cubby sauce so their meds should be mixed in straight honey. *
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR SCRUFFY AND RAGS AND FOR ALL 28 CUBS CURRENTLY IN OUR CARE. ALL OUR CUBS ARE DOING WELL. THANKS ALSO FOR TOLERATING A YUCKY DISCUSSION ABOUT WORMS AND PARASITES. WE COULDN'T DO OUR WORK WITHOUT YOU!
appalachianbearrescue.org/room-in-your-heart-campaign/ ... See MoreSee Less
77 CommentsComment on Facebook
Oh my! Such a lot of new stuff for tiny cubs to sort out. I’m glad the deworming medication is working and hopefully 🤞 they will begin to put on weight. Would the wee babes enjoy some bear diet drizzled in honey? 🍯 Or maybe some Honey Nut Cheerios drizzled in honey?
That’s an awful lot of worms! Makes me wonder if they would have survived if they had been able to stay with their mom.
Why did Rags need antibiotics? Sorry if I missed it
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