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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.
Hear ye, hear ye🗣️📣we would like to formally announce that the fencing for the new Wild Enclosures (5&6) is officially complete! This huge project started a few months ago and had its fair share of complications, including bad weather and a few changes to the original plan. However, after many days of hard work and a lot of flexibility, the project is finished. We cannot thank Stanley Fencing and Landscaping, Inc. enough for their professionalism and for bearing (ha) with us through all of the complications mother nature threw our way. They completed this huge undertaking piece by piece and were willing to graciously work under Curator Tom's watchful eye to make sure everything was put up properly. It is a big ask to build a 1-acre enclosure fence that not only has to effectively keep cubs in but also keep outside bears out! We want to extend a huge thank you to the crew at Stanley Fencing for their hard work that helps us get one step closer to getting cubs!
While the fencing being finished is cause for celebration, the work is not done (as Spud bear constantly reminds us)! We still have to finish some of the finer details of the new enclosures including hanging plastic sheets, putting up visual barriers, installing electric fencing and cub pools, and building platforms. We get closer to fully functional enclosures every day! All of this work is possible because of you, our wonderful supporters - thank you for sticking with us through this journey!
If you would like to see the wonder that is these new enclosures with your own two eye balls, we still have a few facility tour spots available for 8am on Feb. 14th. Yes, it is an early slot but you'll still get the full tour experience and perhaps even a few extra jokes from the highly caffeinated curators!
We are happy to report that we have taken the first steps forward with the long-anticipated soil parasite monitoring study!
Last week, we began collecting the soil samples that will be tested to compare parasite loads in both our new and existing bear enclosures, as well as a control area outside of the areas where bears are housed. Primarily, we will be testing and monitoring the presence of the Bear Round Worm (Baylisascaris transfuga), a parasitic nematode commonly observed in bear populations across the globe and regularly observed here after we deworm new ABR residents. Of course, housing bears with constant exposure to these parasites can present challenges that wild bears do not encounter, so it is vital to minimize their presence. Results of this research will assist in identifying any additional mitigation practices that may be needed before or after bears are admitted to ABR to reduce exposure.
In collaboration with TWRA, we extracted 6-inch-deep soil core samples and collected 2 inches of surface soil from 20 test plots in four half-acre areas (Enclosures 5&6 and 2 control areas). These are being sent to the University of Tennessee for processing and testing, and we expect results to be ready in March. We will be collecting samples from the other 4 enclosures in the next few weeks. Once we have the results, together with TWRA, we’ll identify any areas that may require remediation/treatment or further testing. This is an important step forward, not only for resuming caring for bears, but also in improving how we care for bears in the future. Veterinary professionals and disease biologists agree that managing for parasites is paramount in managing for potential disease in a captive wildlife population. We will be sharing more detailed information about the testing process over the coming weeks, and we are sincerely grateful to our donors who have generously provided the funding that makes doing this work possible. Of course, we would be remiss to not extend our thanks to our partners at TWRA who have dedicated their time to assist with the planning and sampling process.
You're invited to Appalachian Bear Rescue's Facility Tour on Valentine's Day!💓💓💓
Would you like to see all the hard work we've been doing this past year at the Appalachian Bear Rescue Bear Care Facility?
Grab yourself a ticket at the link below for one of the four tour times on Saturday, February 14, 2026. Come meet ABR Staff and other fellow ABR supporters on an in depth tour of Bear Facility grounds. On this tour you will see the Cub Nursery, Red Roof Recovery Center, Hartley House, Wild Enclosures, food storage buildings, as well as the brand new Wild Enclosures 5 & 6. We are so excited to show you all what 2025's Cubs Forever campaign funds are being used for. 🎫
There are only 40 people on each tour, so grab your tickets before the sell out! Each ticket receives a free surprise gift the day of your tour!👀🤩
We are pleased to announce the addition of Sarah Ledbetter to our organization!
Sarah has been hired into a new full-time position at ABR as our Visitor Center and Event Manager. She has local roots right here in Townsend and has worked in retail in the area for over 10 years. She loves rooftop tent camping, driving her racecar on the dragon, and raising her dogs, turkeys, chickens, ducks, and peacock at her little homestead. She's super excited to work here and meet all of you at future events.
With her wealth of retail skills and experience combined with her knowledge of the local community we expect her to bring our Visitor Center and Store experience to the next level!
In celebration of Sarah's first week here we have decided to extend a special package deal from our store. Starting now, with the purchase of any ABR 2026 30th Anniversary Calendar you will receive 1 FREE 2025 Cubs Forever Christmas Ornament (Valued at $20)! It's available both online and in the store and you can purchase it right now by following this link appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/buy-2026-calendar-get-free-ornament?utm_source=cop...
Please give Sarah a Big Bear Hug welcome to the team and come by the visitor center Monday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday to buy some ABR Swag and say hi to Sarah! (Tracey and JoAnne are still there too, don't worry! And you can give them a big bear hug too!) ... See MoreSee Less
Thanks to your generous support our curators have been hard at work adding some of the finishing touches to the new wild enclosures, and finally embarking the the beginnings of the long anticipated soil study with the help and input of TWRA (More on that in the coming days). Please enjoy this article from our good friend, Melanie Tucker, at the Daily Times who has always made sure that ABR stays in the spotlight! We are so blessed to have such a supportive network in our local community.
In other news, Curator Tom and Greg have finished arguing about how to design and install the electric fencing, and Greg may actually get his way. Tom still has his doubts, but is willing to let Greg try a different design than what has been used in the past. Greg is pricing materials from Premier 1 Supplies to use a new extremely strong and highly durable electrified braided rope product that can be mounted on insulators that are directly attached to the chain-link fencing. Though the electrified rope is more expensive than standard galvanized hi-tensile electric wire, it would not require the installation several hundred T-posts to be able to hold the tension. If all goes well, the electrified rope should save money, time, and the Curator Greg's back!
Despite not housing a single bear in 2025, Appalachian Bear Rescue in Townsend remains a priority for many supporters whose contributions totaled $1.1 million over 12 months.
January 5, 2026 - Completing Small Projects Here and There
Weather: 60F (16C), Sunny☀️
Curators are taking full advantage of the warm winter days here in Townsend by working on some of the smaller projects around the bear facility. This includes routine maintenance work, repairing the wraps around forbidden trees in the existing Wild Enclosures, and anything else that Curator Tom can think of!
One of these minor projects was to build a retaining wall on either side of the culvert that goes from Wild Enclosure 6 out to the "outside", unfenced, world. Decades ago, there was a creek running through the middle of new Wild Enclosures 5 & 6. Now there is just a dry indentation not even worthy of being called a creek bed. Curators have never seen water flow through this creek bed (not even Tom) even on the heaviest downpours or wettest of winters. With some of the dirt work that has been done to build the new fencing and add the giant drainage system, we wanted to make sure rainwater from Wild Enclosure 5 & 6 did not pool up at the natural funnel point at the bottom of Wild Enclosure 6. This meant putting in a culvert under the space between Wild Enclosure 6 and the perimeter fencing (have no fear, the culvert has been made cub proof by our good friend Wes the welder so no cubs can get out and also that no bears can get in!). With the culvert being put in, we wanted to make sure that the entrance would remain clear over time and would not fill up with dirt. So, in a small retaining wall went. It is unlikely that much water will actually flow through this culvert, except for perhaps in a torrential rainfall event, but it is always better to be overprepared than underprepared when it comes to bear cubs.☔️🐻
On Friday of last week, Curators Greg and Katrina hauled landscaping timbers down to WE6. They proceeded to dig a trench big enough to fit the timbers in. Next they drilled holes in the timber and stacked them onto rebar that was pounded into the ground for stability. Once the wall was a few feet high, dirt was pushed up against it for stability as well as to cover the other drainage pipes from the basin drain system. Curator Tom got in on the action today as he and Greg finished the other side of the wall. Lucky for Greg, Curator Tom found an extra long drill bit so the holes on the stacked timbers lined up and there didn't have to be as much drilling or forcing together of the 2nd side😆Every day the new enclosures get a little more '"cub ready"! ... See MoreSee Less
January 3, 2026 - Only the Best for ABR Bear Cubs🩺🐻
The very first thing that happens when a wild cub is caught to be put in ABR's care is that the cub goes to the vet to receive a comprehensive exam. Sometimes when cubs are caught, an injury or health concern is very obvious. Other times, the close examination by the amazing staff at the University of Tennesse College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) catches ailments in our cubs that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. Because of the in-depth knowledge and above and beyond level of care given at the UT Vet, cubs are set up for a sucessful rehabilitation journey at ABR no matter how big or small of a health issue they may have. We do everything possible to make sure ABR cubs always get the best, and the care they get at UTCVM is world class!
One of these amazing vets at UTCVM is Dr. Julie Sheldon. Dr. Sheldon has been one of ABR's vets for almost a decade now. She has seen everything from broken bones to head injuries to extreme emaciation (and even bear blood transfusions... Summitt Bear). The cubs in ABR's care certainly keep her on her toes! While cubs can't talk, we can speak on their behalf and tell you that each and every one of them recieve the best possible care under her and her staff. Dr. Sheldon regularly checks in with staff to follow up on the cubs throughout their stay at ABR and is always willing to take time to answer any questions curators may have about the cubs' health! From intake to release, ABR cubs get the absolute best care with Dr. Sheldon and the whole team at UTCVM.
Also, as of this fall Dr. Julie Sheldon joined Appalachian Bear Rescue as a board member! We are so excited to welcome her to our team in an "official" capacity. Thanks for all you do for our bears, Dr. Sheldon! ... See MoreSee Less
Join Executive Director Greg for a discussion about how much money we have been able to raise since launching the Cubs Forever Campaign on July 21, 2025 and how it has spent and what the next couple of months will look like for ABR. ... See MoreSee Less
Join us from 12-7pm for a family friendly afternoon at The Shed in Maryville.
The line-up is stocked full of 5 amazing bands. Come for one or stay for all!
DONATE TODAY!!
January 15, 2026 - The Fencing is Finished!🥳🎉⛓️
Weather: 26F (-3C), Cloudy ☁️
Hear ye, hear ye🗣️📣we would like to formally announce that the fencing for the new Wild Enclosures (5&6) is officially complete! This huge project started a few months ago and had its fair share of complications, including bad weather and a few changes to the original plan. However, after many days of hard work and a lot of flexibility, the project is finished. We cannot thank Stanley Fencing and Landscaping, Inc. enough for their professionalism and for bearing (ha) with us through all of the complications mother nature threw our way. They completed this huge undertaking piece by piece and were willing to graciously work under Curator Tom's watchful eye to make sure everything was put up properly. It is a big ask to build a 1-acre enclosure fence that not only has to effectively keep cubs in but also keep outside bears out! We want to extend a huge thank you to the crew at Stanley Fencing for their hard work that helps us get one step closer to getting cubs!
While the fencing being finished is cause for celebration, the work is not done (as Spud bear constantly reminds us)! We still have to finish some of the finer details of the new enclosures including hanging plastic sheets, putting up visual barriers, installing electric fencing and cub pools, and building platforms. We get closer to fully functional enclosures every day! All of this work is possible because of you, our wonderful supporters - thank you for sticking with us through this journey!
If you would like to see the wonder that is these new enclosures with your own two eye balls, we still have a few facility tour spots available for 8am on Feb. 14th. Yes, it is an early slot but you'll still get the full tour experience and perhaps even a few extra jokes from the highly caffeinated curators!
Grab your tickets here: appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/2026-abr-facility-tours-building-new-tomorrows ... See MoreSee Less
33 CommentsComment on Facebook
ABR Daily Post: January 14, 2026
We are happy to report that we have taken the first steps forward with the long-anticipated soil parasite monitoring study!
Last week, we began collecting the soil samples that will be tested to compare parasite loads in both our new and existing bear enclosures, as well as a control area outside of the areas where bears are housed. Primarily, we will be testing and monitoring the presence of the Bear Round Worm (Baylisascaris transfuga), a parasitic nematode commonly observed in bear populations across the globe and regularly observed here after we deworm new ABR residents. Of course, housing bears with constant exposure to these parasites can present challenges that wild bears do not encounter, so it is vital to minimize their presence. Results of this research will assist in identifying any additional mitigation practices that may be needed before or after bears are admitted to ABR to reduce exposure.
In collaboration with TWRA, we extracted 6-inch-deep soil core samples and collected 2 inches of surface soil from 20 test plots in four half-acre areas (Enclosures 5&6 and 2 control areas). These are being sent to the University of Tennessee for processing and testing, and we expect results to be ready in March. We will be collecting samples from the other 4 enclosures in the next few weeks. Once we have the results, together with TWRA, we’ll identify any areas that may require remediation/treatment or further testing. This is an important step forward, not only for resuming caring for bears, but also in improving how we care for bears in the future. Veterinary professionals and disease biologists agree that managing for parasites is paramount in managing for potential disease in a captive wildlife population. We will be sharing more detailed information about the testing process over the coming weeks, and we are sincerely grateful to our donors who have generously provided the funding that makes doing this work possible. Of course, we would be remiss to not extend our thanks to our partners at TWRA who have dedicated their time to assist with the planning and sampling process.
Photos courtesy of Matt Cameron, TWRA ... See MoreSee Less
29 CommentsComment on Facebook
January 13, 2026. Testing the new guillotine doors out today. 🐻🔨🚧🪛⚒️⛏️
#wildlife #savethebears #blackbear #bearcub ... See MoreSee Less
38 CommentsComment on Facebook
January 12, 2026 - ABR Facility Tours 🐻⚒
You're invited to Appalachian Bear Rescue's Facility Tour on Valentine's Day!💓💓💓
Would you like to see all the hard work we've been doing this past year at the Appalachian Bear Rescue Bear Care Facility?
Grab yourself a ticket at the link below for one of the four tour times on Saturday, February 14, 2026. Come meet ABR Staff and other fellow ABR supporters on an in depth tour of Bear Facility grounds. On this tour you will see the Cub Nursery, Red Roof Recovery Center, Hartley House, Wild Enclosures, food storage buildings, as well as the brand new Wild Enclosures 5 & 6. We are so excited to show you all what 2025's Cubs Forever campaign funds are being used for. 🎫
There are only 40 people on each tour, so grab your tickets before the sell out! Each ticket receives a free surprise gift the day of your tour!👀🤩
Tour times are 8am, 10am, 12pm, and 2pm.
⛓Link below⬇⬇⬇
appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/2026-abr-facility-tours-building-new-tomorrows
#savethebears #valentinesday #townsendtn ... See MoreSee Less
21 CommentsComment on Facebook
ABR Update January 9, 2026
We are pleased to announce the addition of Sarah Ledbetter to our organization!
Sarah has been hired into a new full-time position at ABR as our Visitor Center and Event Manager. She has local roots right here in Townsend and has worked in retail in the area for over 10 years. She loves rooftop tent camping, driving her racecar on the dragon, and raising her dogs, turkeys, chickens, ducks, and peacock at her little homestead. She's super excited to work here and meet all of you at future events.
With her wealth of retail skills and experience combined with her knowledge of the local community we expect her to bring our Visitor Center and Store experience to the next level!
In celebration of Sarah's first week here we have decided to extend a special package deal from our store. Starting now, with the purchase of any ABR 2026 30th Anniversary Calendar you will receive 1 FREE 2025 Cubs Forever Christmas Ornament (Valued at $20)! It's available both online and in the store and you can purchase it right now by following this link appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/buy-2026-calendar-get-free-ornament?utm_source=cop...
Please give Sarah a Big Bear Hug welcome to the team and come by the visitor center Monday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday to buy some ABR Swag and say hi to Sarah!
(Tracey and JoAnne are still there too, don't worry! And you can give them a big bear hug too!) ... See MoreSee Less
66 CommentsComment on Facebook
ABR Daily Update January 8, 2026
Thanks to your generous support our curators have been hard at work adding some of the finishing touches to the new wild enclosures, and finally embarking the the beginnings of the long anticipated soil study with the help and input of TWRA (More on that in the coming days). Please enjoy this article from our good friend, Melanie Tucker, at the Daily Times who has always made sure that ABR stays in the spotlight! We are so blessed to have such a supportive network in our local community.
In other news, Curator Tom and Greg have finished arguing about how to design and install the electric fencing, and Greg may actually get his way. Tom still has his doubts, but is willing to let Greg try a different design than what has been used in the past.
Greg is pricing materials from Premier 1 Supplies to use a new extremely strong and highly durable electrified braided rope product that can be mounted on insulators that are directly attached to the chain-link fencing. Though the electrified rope is more expensive than standard galvanized hi-tensile electric wire, it would not require the installation several hundred T-posts to be able to hold the tension. If all goes well, the electrified rope should save money, time, and the Curator Greg's back!
Fingers crossed, it will pass the Tom Test.
... See MoreSee Less
Prepping for bears: ABR raises $825,000 to get back to business
www.thedailytimes.com
Despite not housing a single bear in 2025, Appalachian Bear Rescue in Townsend remains a priority for many supporters whose contributions totaled $1.1 million over 12 months.19 CommentsComment on Facebook
January 5, 2026 - Completing Small Projects Here and There
Weather: 60F (16C), Sunny☀️
Curators are taking full advantage of the warm winter days here in Townsend by working on some of the smaller projects around the bear facility. This includes routine maintenance work, repairing the wraps around forbidden trees in the existing Wild Enclosures, and anything else that Curator Tom can think of!
One of these minor projects was to build a retaining wall on either side of the culvert that goes from Wild Enclosure 6 out to the "outside", unfenced, world. Decades ago, there was a creek running through the middle of new Wild Enclosures 5 & 6. Now there is just a dry indentation not even worthy of being called a creek bed. Curators have never seen water flow through this creek bed (not even Tom) even on the heaviest downpours or wettest of winters. With some of the dirt work that has been done to build the new fencing and add the giant drainage system, we wanted to make sure rainwater from Wild Enclosure 5 & 6 did not pool up at the natural funnel point at the bottom of Wild Enclosure 6. This meant putting in a culvert under the space between Wild Enclosure 6 and the perimeter fencing (have no fear, the culvert has been made cub proof by our good friend Wes the welder so no cubs can get out and also that no bears can get in!). With the culvert being put in, we wanted to make sure that the entrance would remain clear over time and would not fill up with dirt. So, in a small retaining wall went. It is unlikely that much water will actually flow through this culvert, except for perhaps in a torrential rainfall event, but it is always better to be overprepared than underprepared when it comes to bear cubs.☔️🐻
On Friday of last week, Curators Greg and Katrina hauled landscaping timbers down to WE6. They proceeded to dig a trench big enough to fit the timbers in. Next they drilled holes in the timber and stacked them onto rebar that was pounded into the ground for stability. Once the wall was a few feet high, dirt was pushed up against it for stability as well as to cover the other drainage pipes from the basin drain system. Curator Tom got in on the action today as he and Greg finished the other side of the wall. Lucky for Greg, Curator Tom found an extra long drill bit so the holes on the stacked timbers lined up and there didn't have to be as much drilling or forcing together of the 2nd side😆Every day the new enclosures get a little more '"cub ready"! ... See MoreSee Less
23 CommentsComment on Facebook
January 3, 2026 - Only the Best for ABR Bear Cubs🩺🐻
The very first thing that happens when a wild cub is caught to be put in ABR's care is that the cub goes to the vet to receive a comprehensive exam. Sometimes when cubs are caught, an injury or health concern is very obvious. Other times, the close examination by the amazing staff at the University of Tennesse College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) catches ailments in our cubs that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. Because of the in-depth knowledge and above and beyond level of care given at the UT Vet, cubs are set up for a sucessful rehabilitation journey at ABR no matter how big or small of a health issue they may have. We do everything possible to make sure ABR cubs always get the best, and the care they get at UTCVM is world class!
One of these amazing vets at UTCVM is Dr. Julie Sheldon. Dr. Sheldon has been one of ABR's vets for almost a decade now. She has seen everything from broken bones to head injuries to extreme emaciation (and even bear blood transfusions... Summitt Bear). The cubs in ABR's care certainly keep her on her toes! While cubs can't talk, we can speak on their behalf and tell you that each and every one of them recieve the best possible care under her and her staff. Dr. Sheldon regularly checks in with staff to follow up on the cubs throughout their stay at ABR and is always willing to take time to answer any questions curators may have about the cubs' health! From intake to release, ABR cubs get the absolute best care with Dr. Sheldon and the whole team at UTCVM.
Also, as of this fall Dr. Julie Sheldon joined Appalachian Bear Rescue as a board member! We are so excited to welcome her to our team in an "official" capacity. Thanks for all you do for our bears, Dr. Sheldon! ... See MoreSee Less
33 CommentsComment on Facebook
Join Executive Director Greg for a discussion about how much money we have been able to raise since launching the Cubs Forever Campaign on July 21, 2025 and how it has spent and what the next couple of months will look like for ABR. ... See MoreSee Less
50 CommentsComment on Facebook