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-May 16, 2025–Encouraging Nature’s Pest Control! 🦉🏡🐁
Weather: 80F (27C) Humidity 61%, Cloudy ☁️
There are many pest/rodent control options for households, businesses, and bear rescues! Some options are better than others and some are safer than others – it just depends on your objective. Poisons and other chemical controls are often used without much consideration for the surrounding habitat and wildlife species. And while these methods are successful in getting rid of a rodent problem, they inadvertently also rid of important predatory species that feed on such rodents. Owls, hawks, snakes and foxes are just a few of these unintended targets.
The good news is that there are many natural repellents that can be just as effective. One option is to encourage nature’s local pest control to move into the area. Today, our curators doubled as working realtors for Townsend’s screech-owl population. Eastern screech-owls are a small owl species that inhabit the eastern United States. No bigger than a robin, screech-owls are nocturnal predators that feed mostly on small rodents and birds.
Curator Jamie constructed three screech-owl nesting boxes to place around ABR's bear care facility. One will go near wild enclosures 1 and 2, one near wild enclosures 3 and 4, and the final box will go somewhere near the facility office. These boxes will be hung at a minimum of 10 feet high and filled with 2-3 inches of wood shavings for nesting material. With our facility’s location just outside of the Great Smoky Mountains and away from extreme light pollution, we expect these particular nest boxes are going to be hot in the real estate market. We will keep you updated on any new residents that we see moving in. 😊 ... See MoreSee Less
Thank you for your patience with us. Curator Jamie was able to restore our internet service today. Lightning has been fierce around our place lately. We've lost internet three times this spring and we lost a brand new outdoor light at Trillium Cove once. We aren't complaining. Several years ago, we lost multiple camera switches in a couple of big storms. Fingers crossed, but it's only been internet the last three times.
There was a lot of network and computer work on the agenda today. Seth did make it outside with his butterfly net this afternoon. Seth is helping a student with a butterfly project and the bear facility has plenty of butterflies. We love when we can help with a science project. ... See MoreSee Less
We apologize for the very late post today. We still don’t have internet at the facility. We will post more of an update tomorrow. 🐻 Goodnight to our friends and supporters. ... See MoreSee Less
The storms keep rolling through eastern Tennessee! ABR has been without internet since late last night when curators first noticed that the facility’s camera system was listed as being “offline”. Earlier today, rain and hail pounded the Townsend area. Curator Seth, who was driving at the time, reports having to drive no more than 5mph due to such limited visibility in the downpour. Everyone and everything at the facility remains intact, but more storms are expected this evening. We hope all of our supporters are remaining safe and dry. 🙂 ... See MoreSee Less
ABR Daily Update-May 12, 2025-Pressing On! 👷♀️👷🏼♂️
Weather: 72F (22C) Humidity 88%, Light rain ☔️
Our curators report there was no damage from Saturday’s earthquake. Nothing fell off shelves, and the foundations of Hartley House, The Recovery Center, The Cub House, and the other buildings are intact. They were able to press on with the construction of the resting platforms, one of the larger projects on the to-do list. Little by little, we’re getting things done.👍
Thank you for your unwavering support; without you, we couldn’t give little bears a second chance.❤️
Many of you have asked if our facility suffered any damage from yesterday’s earthquake. The curators will be back tomorrow to examine the buildings-especially the foundations-but at this time, we don’t believe anything has been damaged. Our security cameras captured the moment the earthquake hit; you’ll notice some cameras shaking and a little movement of water in the Cub Pool. The buildings are a different matter. They are equipped with cameras that record sound, and the energy from the quake was felt and heard much more inside than outside.
We wish all of you a Happy Mother’s Day. Orphaned cubs and yearlings rely on the compassion of many “foster mothers and dads” for a second chance at life in the wild. Thank you for giving them that chance.❤️🐻
Our curators are working to complete the rehabilitation of Wild Enclosures #3 and #4. Although it’s unlikely we’ll use them this season, we want them cleaned and ready for when they're needed. The curators installed horizontal wood slabs on the new resting platforms and attached firehose “bumpers” along the edges. The drinking tubs are back in place-another completed item checked off our extensive to do-list.✅📋
Thank you for your unwavering support; without you, we couldn’t give little bears a second chance.❤️
It rained last night and this morning, but when it rains, we can catch up on our indoor chores. There are always notes to take, emails to send, files to sort and cleaning to do. We accomplished the huge task of rebuilding the platforms in Enclosure 4 this week. We will show you more of our progress this weekend.
Today, we share the cicadas. The periodic Brood XIV cicadas only come around every 17 years. Lucky us...2025 is the year! The cicadas are pretty harmless, but their droning roar can be annoying. The bears find them to be delicious, not annoying. In fact, cicadas provide a great source of additional natural protein for bears. Listen and see what you think.
We've had a few other visitors and noticed more of our spring flora. We hope you enjoy sharing little pieces of our East Tennessee springtime.
Thank you for all you do to support our mission. We couldn't do our work without all of you. We sincerely appreciate every kind comment, Like, Share and Donation! ... See MoreSee Less
Our crew was busy with the Enclosure 4 platforms again today. We thought we would share a few other things that we've noticed at ABR. Everything has leafed out and spring will soon turn to summer. Though it slows the work some days, we are very happy to report that we've had plenty of rain lately. The raindrops certainly help with the leafing out of our woods.
Greg and Katrina's baby goats are doing very well. Orion and Cassiopeia are growing like weeds! Greg quite literally has his hands full!
The photos of the leaves were taken with our facility cameras. The trees are inside and just outside our enclosures. Oak trees are very important to bears and other wildlife. Oaks produce acorns in the fall and acorns are a critically important food source for bears and other wildlife. We'll show you the white oak and red oak acorns later in the year. Did you know that you can tell white and red oaks apart by looking at the leaves? Red oak varieties produce leaves with pointed leaf lobes. White oak varieties produce leaves with rounded leaf lobes. Bears eat both red and white oak acorns, but the white oaks are favorites. The white oak acorns contain less tannins and taste better than the red!
Tulip poplar trees don't produce a food source for bears, but the trees are a king in our Tennessee forests. Did you know that the tulip poplar is the state tree of Tennessee?
Do you remember the redbud trees from earlier in the spring? Redbud flowers are some of the first flowers we see in early spring. The pinkish flowers give way to heart-shaped leaves in the summer. We also noticed honeysuckle flowers growing on vines twined high up in the treetops. Cubs love honeysuckle flowers If you've smelled the flowers, you know why. They contain a sweet-smelling nectar that any bear would enjoy!
The creatures around our facility are also doing well. Our tadpoles from a few weeks ago now have four legs! Our resident pest control expert was on patrol duty earlier today. In fact, Curator Seth reports that SHE had recently consumed a woodrat - good snake! We asked Seth two questions:
1. How do you know she is a she? Seth reports that he confirms the sex of each rat snake that he catches by looking at the tail thickness and length. This one is definitely female.
2. How do you know she ate a wood rat for breakfast? Seth says that if you look at her mid-section, you can see a slightly bulging area. The size of the bulge is consistent with an adult woodrat.
We love having experts on the team!
Thank you for helping us help bears. We couldn't do our work without you! ... See MoreSee Less
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ABR Daily Update-May 16, 2025–Encouraging Nature’s Pest Control! 🦉🏡🐁
Weather: 80F (27C) Humidity 61%, Cloudy ☁️
There are many pest/rodent control options for households, businesses, and bear rescues! Some options are better than others and some are safer than others – it just depends on your objective. Poisons and other chemical controls are often used without much consideration for the surrounding habitat and wildlife species. And while these methods are successful in getting rid of a rodent problem, they inadvertently also rid of important predatory species that feed on such rodents. Owls, hawks, snakes and foxes are just a few of these unintended targets.
The good news is that there are many natural repellents that can be just as effective. One option is to encourage nature’s local pest control to move into the area. Today, our curators doubled as working realtors for Townsend’s screech-owl population. Eastern screech-owls are a small owl species that inhabit the eastern United States. No bigger than a robin, screech-owls are nocturnal predators that feed mostly on small rodents and birds.
Curator Jamie constructed three screech-owl nesting boxes to place around ABR's bear care facility. One will go near wild enclosures 1 and 2, one near wild enclosures 3 and 4, and the final box will go somewhere near the facility office. These boxes will be hung at a minimum of 10 feet high and filled with 2-3 inches of wood shavings for nesting material. With our facility’s location just outside of the Great Smoky Mountains and away from extreme light pollution, we expect these particular nest boxes are going to be hot in the real estate market. We will keep you updated on any new residents that we see moving in. 😊 ... See MoreSee Less
27 CommentsComment on Facebook
May 15, 2025: Internet and Butterflies
Thank you for your patience with us. Curator Jamie was able to restore our internet service today. Lightning has been fierce around our place lately. We've lost internet three times this spring and we lost a brand new outdoor light at Trillium Cove once. We aren't complaining. Several years ago, we lost multiple camera switches in a couple of big storms. Fingers crossed, but it's only been internet the last three times.
There was a lot of network and computer work on the agenda today. Seth did make it outside with his butterfly net this afternoon. Seth is helping a student with a butterfly project and the bear facility has plenty of butterflies. We love when we can help with a science project. ... See MoreSee Less
13 CommentsComment on Facebook
We apologize for the very late post today. We still don’t have internet at the facility. We will post more of an update tomorrow. 🐻 Goodnight to our friends and supporters. ... See MoreSee Less
8 CommentsComment on Facebook
ABR Daily Update-May 13, 2025-Offline❌🛜
Weather: 71°F (22°C) Humidity 59%, Drizzle☔️
The storms keep rolling through eastern Tennessee! ABR has been without internet since late last night when curators first noticed that the facility’s camera system was listed as being “offline”. Earlier today, rain and hail pounded the Townsend area. Curator Seth, who was driving at the time, reports having to drive no more than 5mph due to such limited visibility in the downpour. Everyone and everything at the facility remains intact, but more storms are expected this evening. We hope all of our supporters are remaining safe and dry. 🙂 ... See MoreSee Less
18 CommentsComment on Facebook
ABR Daily Update-May 12, 2025-Pressing On! 👷♀️👷🏼♂️
Weather: 72F (22C) Humidity 88%, Light rain ☔️
Our curators report there was no damage from Saturday’s earthquake. Nothing fell off shelves, and the foundations of Hartley House, The Recovery Center, The Cub House, and the other buildings are intact. They were able to press on with the construction of the resting platforms, one of the larger projects on the to-do list. Little by little, we’re getting things done.👍
Thank you for your unwavering support; without you, we couldn’t give little bears a second chance.❤️
🎉Our Visitor & Education Center at Trillium Cove is open! Please click 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
19 CommentsComment on Facebook
ABR Daily Update-May 11, 2025-Tremors!
Many of you have asked if our facility suffered any damage from yesterday’s earthquake. The curators will be back tomorrow to examine the buildings-especially the foundations-but at this time, we don’t believe anything has been damaged. Our security cameras captured the moment the earthquake hit; you’ll notice some cameras shaking and a little movement of water in the Cub Pool. The buildings are a different matter. They are equipped with cameras that record sound, and the energy from the quake was felt and heard much more inside than outside.
We wish all of you a Happy Mother’s Day. Orphaned cubs and yearlings rely on the compassion of many “foster mothers and dads” for a second chance at life in the wild. Thank you for giving them that chance.❤️🐻
🎉Our Visitor & Education Center at Trillium Cove is open! Please click 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
28 CommentsComment on Facebook
ABR Daily Update-May 10, 2025-Baby Bear Bumpers 🐻
Weather: 74F (23C) Humidity 63%, Cloudy ☁️
Our curators are working to complete the rehabilitation of Wild Enclosures #3 and #4. Although it’s unlikely we’ll use them this season, we want them cleaned and ready for when they're needed. The curators installed horizontal wood slabs on the new resting platforms and attached firehose “bumpers” along the edges. The drinking tubs are back in place-another completed item checked off our extensive to do-list.✅📋
Thank you for your unwavering support; without you, we couldn’t give little bears a second chance.❤️
🎉Our Visitor & Education Center at Trillium Cove is open! Please click 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
May 9, 2025: The Cicadas
It rained last night and this morning, but when it rains, we can catch up on our indoor chores. There are always notes to take, emails to send, files to sort and cleaning to do. We accomplished the huge task of rebuilding the platforms in Enclosure 4 this week. We will show you more of our progress this weekend.
Today, we share the cicadas. The periodic Brood XIV cicadas only come around every 17 years. Lucky us...2025 is the year! The cicadas are pretty harmless, but their droning roar can be annoying. The bears find them to be delicious, not annoying. In fact, cicadas provide a great source of additional natural protein for bears. Listen and see what you think.
We've had a few other visitors and noticed more of our spring flora. We hope you enjoy sharing little pieces of our East Tennessee springtime.
Thank you for all you do to support our mission. We couldn't do our work without all of you. We sincerely appreciate every kind comment, Like, Share and Donation! ... See MoreSee Less
11 CommentsComment on Facebook
May 8, 2025: Other ABR Stuff
Our crew was busy with the Enclosure 4 platforms again today. We thought we would share a few other things that we've noticed at ABR. Everything has leafed out and spring will soon turn to summer. Though it slows the work some days, we are very happy to report that we've had plenty of rain lately. The raindrops certainly help with the leafing out of our woods.
Greg and Katrina's baby goats are doing very well. Orion and Cassiopeia are growing like weeds! Greg quite literally has his hands full!
The photos of the leaves were taken with our facility cameras. The trees are inside and just outside our enclosures. Oak trees are very important to bears and other wildlife. Oaks produce acorns in the fall and acorns are a critically important food source for bears and other wildlife. We'll show you the white oak and red oak acorns later in the year. Did you know that you can tell white and red oaks apart by looking at the leaves? Red oak varieties produce leaves with pointed leaf lobes. White oak varieties produce leaves with rounded leaf lobes. Bears eat both red and white oak acorns, but the white oaks are favorites. The white oak acorns contain less tannins and taste better than the red!
Tulip poplar trees don't produce a food source for bears, but the trees are a king in our Tennessee forests. Did you know that the tulip poplar is the state tree of Tennessee?
Do you remember the redbud trees from earlier in the spring? Redbud flowers are some of the first flowers we see in early spring. The pinkish flowers give way to heart-shaped leaves in the summer. We also noticed honeysuckle flowers growing on vines twined high up in the treetops. Cubs love honeysuckle flowers If you've smelled the flowers, you know why. They contain a sweet-smelling nectar that any bear would enjoy!
The creatures around our facility are also doing well. Our tadpoles from a few weeks ago now have four legs! Our resident pest control expert was on patrol duty earlier today. In fact, Curator Seth reports that SHE had recently consumed a woodrat - good snake! We asked Seth two questions:
1. How do you know she is a she?
Seth reports that he confirms the sex of each rat snake that he catches by looking at the tail thickness and length. This one is definitely female.
2. How do you know she ate a wood rat for breakfast?
Seth says that if you look at her mid-section, you can see a slightly bulging area. The size of the bulge is consistent with an adult woodrat.
We love having experts on the team!
Thank you for helping us help bears. We couldn't do our work without you! ... See MoreSee Less
18 CommentsComment on Facebook