Daily Bear Updates

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ABR Daily Update-February 16, 2025-Timber! 🌲

Weather: 44F (7C) Humidity 81%, Cloudy ☁️

The weather hasn’t cooperated with our outdoor maintenance plans, but that didn’t deter Tim McNutt, owner of McNutt Farms and Mountain View Stables, from volunteering to accompany our curator to pick up wood posts from Menards in Kentucky. Thanks to your generosity, we’ll be able to build new and improved platforms to help our future residents.👏

We’re often asked why we restrict our rescue mission to bears two years of age or younger. There are a number of reasons, but “the birds and the bees” are right up there on the list.

A number of our friends remembered that Hartley, our hairless miracle bear, had a bit of a “fling” with Sweetie, a female yearling who lived in residence at the same time. “The Big Book of Bears”—the one that no bear has EVER read—states that black bears reach sexual maturity at about three or four years of age. Mr. Hartley and Ms. Sweetie were all of 15 months old when they started canoodling on our premises. We attribute their precociousness to the very high quality food they were fed and to their coed enclosure. Whether their romance would have resulted in the birth of cubs is highly unlikely, but they sure went through the motions often enough.🤔

Black bears become very competitive during mating season, and to house males and females in the same facility would be problematic, not to mention the danger of housing adolescent males together. Anyway, Sweetie began by rebuffing Hartley’s advances. He persisted. She rebuffed. He persisted. She changed her mind; he was, after all, a very handsome bear…and the only male present. We’re sure that Daffodil, another female in their enclosure, warned Sweetie not to believe a word Hartley said, but, alas, she couldn’t help herself.

We run a respectable, G-rated facility. We thought Hartley’s "activities" showed he was cured of whatever ailed him, and he was really ready to return to the wild. And he did. Once he was gone, Sweetie and Daffodil became good friends and were joined by Iris Bear a little later.Having an all-female yearling enclosure doesn’t guarantee peace and friendship; remember Tinsel and Twinkle, who barely tolerated each other? Young cubs are very accepting of other cubs, but that diminishes as they get older, and the instinct to compete for land, food, and mates takes over.

We hope Hartley, as is the custom of male bears, found many lady companions over the years. We hope that Sweetie, as is the custom of female bears, found many boyfriends. We think the world needs lots of little Hartleys and Sweeties…we just don’t want them manufactured at our facility.🐻❤️🐻

📿There's still time to sign up for the Mardi Gras Party. The date is March 1st. The time is 6:00-9:00 p.m. The place is the Willow Ridge Event Center in Townsend, Tennessee. Join us for a shrimp boil with all the fixins and fellowship with fellow ABR supporters, ABR Staff and ABR Volunteers. ALL PROCEEDS from the Mardi Gras Party support the renovation projects at our bear facility. We hope to see you on March 1st!

appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/abr-mardi-gras-party

❤️Please consider donating to Appalachian Bear Rescue’s Bear Necessities Fund.
bit.ly/3Zhmi48

🎉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

ABR Daily Update-February 16, 2025-Timber! 🌲

Weather: 44F (7C) Humidity 81%, Cloudy ☁️

The weather hasn’t cooperated with our outdoor maintenance plans, but that didn’t deter Tim McNutt, owner of McNutt Farms and Mountain View Stables, from volunteering to accompany our curator to pick up wood posts from Menards in Kentucky. Thanks to your generosity, we’ll be able to build new and improved platforms to help our future residents.👏

We’re often asked why we restrict our rescue mission to bears two years of age or younger. There are a number of reasons, but “the birds and the bees” are right up there on the list.

A number of our friends remembered that Hartley, our hairless miracle bear, had a bit of a “fling” with Sweetie, a female yearling who lived in residence at the same time. “The Big Book of Bears”—the one that no bear has EVER read—states that black bears reach sexual maturity at about three or four years of age. Mr. Hartley and Ms. Sweetie were all of 15 months old when they started canoodling on our premises. We attribute their precociousness to the very high quality food they were fed and to their coed enclosure. Whether their romance would have resulted in the birth of cubs is highly unlikely, but they sure went through the motions often enough.🤔

Black bears become very competitive during mating season, and to house males and females in the same facility would be problematic, not to mention the danger of housing adolescent males together. Anyway, Sweetie began by rebuffing Hartley’s advances. He persisted. She rebuffed. He persisted. She changed her mind; he was, after all, a very handsome bear…and the only male present. We’re sure that Daffodil, another female in their enclosure, warned Sweetie not to believe a word Hartley said, but, alas, she couldn’t help herself.

We run a respectable, G-rated facility. We thought Hartley’s activities showed he was cured of whatever ailed him, and he was really ready to return to the wild. And he did. Once he was gone, Sweetie and Daffodil became good friends and were joined by Iris Bear a little later.Having an all-female yearling enclosure doesn’t guarantee peace and friendship; remember Tinsel and Twinkle, who barely tolerated each other? Young cubs are very accepting of other cubs, but that diminishes as they get older, and the instinct to compete for land, food, and mates takes over.

We hope Hartley, as is the custom of male bears, found many lady companions over the years. We hope that Sweetie, as is the custom of female bears, found many boyfriends. We think the world needs lots of little Hartleys and Sweeties…we just don’t want them manufactured at our facility.🐻❤️🐻

📿Theres still time to sign up for the Mardi Gras Party. The date is March 1st. The time is 6:00-9:00 p.m. The place is the Willow Ridge Event Center in Townsend, Tennessee. Join us for a shrimp boil with all the fixins and fellowship with fellow ABR supporters, ABR Staff and ABR Volunteers. ALL PROCEEDS from the Mardi Gras Party support the renovation projects at our bear facility. We hope to see you on March 1st!

https://appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/abr-mardi-gras-party

❤️Please consider donating to Appalachian Bear Rescue’s Bear Necessities Fund.
https://bit.ly/3Zhmi48

🎉Our Visitor & Education Center at Trillium Cove is open! Please click on the link for more information: 
https://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.Image attachmentImage attachment+4Image attachment

17 CommentsComment on Facebook

Oh how I remember poor Hartley when he arrived. Such a sad looking little bear. We were worried. Obviously ABR healed his fur less self and fed him well! Then he saw that cute Sweetie and the new testosterone kicked in. Wonder if he found a cutie when he was sent home to the forest?? ❤️🐻❤️

"G-rated facility" 🤣. Your wordsmithing is perfect! And so great to have help and company for what I'm sure was a long wet drive. Beautiful posts!

Thank you Mr McNutt for helping these amazing people make the best new things that our cubbies will love ❤️ Fond memories of Twinkle and Tinsel at first they were like oh no but they grew to love each other 🥰

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ABR Daily Update-February 15, 2025-Remembering Jasmine, Jeannie, and Magic Bear

Hopefully, three's a charm. We apologize for the problems with today's video...

Weather: 57F (14C) Humidity 86%, Cloudy

Our Valentine’s Day post, featuring Hartley Bear, reminded us of a trio of very young cubs who arrived at ABR on February 14, 2021. Usually, once a mother bear is frightened away from her den, she doesn’t return, and very young cubs can’t be left alone for long. If they're lucky, we’re able to find foster mothers for them, but that is a complicated process. We’re happy to report that Jasmine, Jeannie, and Magic Bear were quickly reunited with their mom—the only time we’ve been able to return cubs to their biological mother. We hope you enjoy watching this video of our three Valentine cubs and their mom.

There's still time to sign up for the Mardi Gras Party. The date is March 1st. The time is 6:00-9:00 p.m. The place is the Willow Ridge Event Center in Townsend, Tennessee. Join us for a shrimp boil with all the fixins and fellowship with fellow ABR supporters, ABR Staff and ABR Volunteers. ALL PROCEEDS from the Mardi Gras Party support the renovation projects at our bear facility. We hope to see you on March 1st!
appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/abr-mardi-gras-party

Please consider donating to Appalachian Bear Rescue’s Bear Necessities Fund.
bit.ly/3Zhmi48

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

I remember these cubbies and their mama! How grateful we are to the homeowners for letting them den under the house. 💖💖💖💖💖💖

The reuniting the triplets with their mother was amazing. I didn’t realize or remember that the mother was collared. I hope the triplets are surviving and thriving. Thanks for sharing this happy memory. ♥️🐻

Oh my I remember this. Not enough love and thank you to the wonderful homeowners that let her remain to raise those babies❤️❤️🐻🐻🐻

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ABR Daily Update - February 14, 2025 - Valentine's Day💌
Weather: 47F (8C) Humidity 55%, Partly Cloudy⛅️

Happy Valentine's Day!! We at Appalachian Bear Rescue cannot possibly talk about Valentine's Day without paying tribute to one of our most well-known graduates - Hartley Bear! We hope you enjoy this walk down memory lane.

*Until further notice, Facebook LIVE videos will take place once a week, on Wednesdays at 12:30PM eastern. Our regular daily updates will continue everyday, seven days a week*
... See MoreSee Less

68 CommentsComment on Facebook

Oh sweet Hartley! I kept seeing him on our local news channels and I knew I had to check out ABR and follow his recovery. That was the beginning of my “obsession” with ABR! So many wonderful memories, and some sad ones too, these almost six years of following. If I remember correctly Hartley started getting a little too enamored of one of his lady roommates, and got to go home a little earlier because of that 😂. But, in all fairness, he was the Valentines Day Bear, the bear of love. I pray that he is living a safe wild bear life in Kentucky. 🙏🏻🐻♥️

Love Hartley's story ❤️ this shows how much we need ABR without your love and care Hartley wouldn't have had a chance to grow and thrive and be a free wild bear 🐻🐾

I remember dear Hartley Bear. Proof that with the love and care provided by ABR miracles do happen. ❤️

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February 13, 2025: A Break From The Rain

We got a break from the rain today, but we didn't take a break from working on the bear facility. Curators Katrina, Jamie and Seth started the day with cleaning and disinfecting Room 3 in Hartley House. This room was used on release day for Scruffy, Rags and Phoenix, so it had to be scrubbed again.

With Hartley House in good shape, it was "outside we go" to do more work in Enclosure 1 and on the newly delivered gravel on the road to Enclosures 1&2. Curator Jamie drove the ABR Polaris over the gravel to pack it down. He very carefully watched the "lines" to be sure that every inch of the road was properly "packed". Then he spent the rest of the afternoon power washing the black plastic sheets that line the top four feet of the fencing in Enclosure 1.

Do you know about the black plastic sheets at the top of the enclosure fences? These sheets are made of a marine-grade plastic and they come in 4'x8' sheets. The last time we purchased this material (2022), we paid $41.00 for each sheet. There are about 60 sheets just in Enclosure 1. We punch holes in the four corners and around the top and bottom of each sheet. Then we use heavy wire or metal zip ties to attach the sheets to the chain link fence. The sheets run the "long way" all the way around the inside of the fence and cover the top four feet of the 8 foot tall fence. Below the black plastic sheets, there are multiple rows of electric fencing. It wouldn't likely happen, but in the event a cub or yearling got past the electric fencing, they would reach a slick, hard sheet of plastic that is claw resistant. A cub or yearling is not tall enough to reach over four feet of slick plastic to grab the top of the fencing and keep going. In other words, the black plastic sheets are a level of protection to prevent "self-release".

Thank you for all you do to help us get our bear facility ready for the bears of the Class of 2025. We couldn't do our work without you!

appalachianbearrescue.org/2024-bear-necessities-campaign/
... See MoreSee Less

February 13, 2025: A Break From The Rain

We got a break from the rain today, but we didnt take a break from working on the bear facility. Curators Katrina, Jamie and Seth started the day with cleaning and disinfecting Room 3 in Hartley House. This room was used on release day for Scruffy, Rags and Phoenix, so it had to be scrubbed again. 

With Hartley House in good shape, it was outside we go to do more work in Enclosure 1 and on the newly delivered gravel on the road to Enclosures 1&2.  Curator Jamie drove the ABR Polaris over the gravel to pack it down. He very carefully watched the lines to be sure that every inch of the road was properly packed. Then he spent the rest of the afternoon power washing the black plastic sheets that line the top four feet of the fencing in Enclosure 1.

Do you know about the black plastic sheets at the top of the enclosure fences? These sheets are made of a marine-grade plastic and they come in 4x8 sheets. The last time we purchased this material (2022), we paid $41.00 for each sheet.  There are about 60 sheets just in Enclosure 1. We punch holes in the four corners and around the top and bottom of each sheet. Then we use heavy wire or metal zip ties to attach the sheets to the chain link fence. The sheets run the long way all the way around the inside of the fence and cover the top four feet of the 8 foot tall fence. Below the black plastic sheets, there are multiple rows of electric fencing. It wouldnt likely happen, but in the event a cub or yearling got past the electric fencing, they would reach a slick, hard sheet of plastic that is claw resistant. A cub or yearling is not tall enough to reach over four feet of slick plastic to grab the top of the fencing and keep going. In other words, the black plastic sheets are a level of protection to prevent self-release. 

Thank you for all you do to help us get our bear facility ready for the bears of the Class of 2025. We couldnt do our work without you!

https://appalachianbearrescue.org/2024-bear-necessities-campaign/Image attachmentImage attachment+2Image attachment

26 CommentsComment on Facebook

When will you be ready to take bears!

All steps towards the goal. 2025 inhabitants will be safe and very comfortable.

Amazing! Job well done!!

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You all showed such an interest in our ABR Bear Facility Tours that we've added a very limited number of additional spots to the four tours taking place on March 1st. These additional tickets will go live in our online store tomorrow morning (Thursday, February 13th) at 10AM eastern. Make sure to set a reminder if you missed out last time, as these will be the LAST available tickets for our 2025 tours. Our staff is looking forward to meeting you.😊🐻 ... See MoreSee Less

You all showed such an interest in our ABR Bear Facility Tours that weve added a very limited number of additional spots to the four tours taking place on March 1st. These additional tickets will go live in our online store tomorrow morning (Thursday, February 13th) at 10AM eastern. Make sure to set a reminder if you missed out last time, as these will be the LAST available tickets for our 2025 tours. Our staff is looking forward to meeting you.😊🐻

16 CommentsComment on Facebook

What has changed? There are currently no bears but the years I have followed the rescue, the location was not made public and certainly off limits to visitors to protect the bears and “tourist”.

How does one purchase tickets ?

I wish I was there to go.

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4 days ago

Join Greg and Tori for a Facebook Live update! If you want to purchase tickets for our 2025 Mardi Gras Party, you can do so HERE: appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/abr-mardi-gras-party ... See MoreSee Less

16 CommentsComment on Facebook

Good afternoon Tori and Greg

Thanks for the update and all the wonderful progress at ABR.

With all of this required cleaning, make it something easier on the curators to take care of. The bears won’t be upset 😉♥️

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February 11, 2025: Soggy Work

On Monday, our team made the most of the last hours without pouring rain. Curator Greg hosted Melanie Tucker with our local newspaper, The Daily Times. Thank you Melanie for coming out to see the bear facility and our work! Late in the day we got the first gravel delivery of SEVEN that we expect. Our friends at Vulcan Materials generously donated seventy tons of gravel to resurface all our roads at the bear facility. We thank local driver Mitch King for giving us a great deal on delivering the gravel to us in Townsend. Mr. King works hard to use his truck to deliver and spread the gravel right where we need it to be.

By this morning, it was pouring rain in Townsend. A little rain never stops a cub or our ABR team! Curator Katrina wears several hats at ABR. One of those hats is Volunteer Coordinator. Katrina is planning an upcoming volunteer meeting and spent some time preparing her presentation materials. Curator Seth donned his rain gear and hauled the tires from the dismantled tire bridges to a central location. We will treat them with heat and also disinfect them. Curator Jamie worked in the Cubby Washroom this morning. The Washroom houses all the bottles we use for formula for young cubs. Jamie made sure every bottle was washed and ready to go.

This morning, one of our ABR Interns let Curator Jamie know that the pull chain on the light in the Tiny Office was broken. That meant the light provided no light at all. Curators Seth and Jamie added a new pull chain and reinstalled the light. Now, the light actually provides light for our interns. Job well done!

We expect the rain to continue at least through tomorrow. Our team will brave the puddles and continue with maintenance tasks at the facility. There's lots to do and we won't let rain stand in the way of progress.

Thank you for all you do to help us get the facility ready for the cubs of the Class of 2025. We sincerely appreciate your support and words of encouragement. We couldn't do our work without YOU!
appalachianbearrescue.org/2024-bear-necessities-campaign/
... See MoreSee Less

February 11, 2025: Soggy Work

On Monday, our team made the most of the last hours without pouring rain. Curator Greg hosted Melanie Tucker with our local newspaper, The Daily Times. Thank you Melanie for coming out to see the bear facility and our work! Late in the day we got the first gravel delivery of SEVEN that we expect. Our friends at Vulcan Materials generously donated seventy tons of gravel to resurface all our roads at the bear facility. We thank local driver Mitch King for giving us a great deal on delivering the gravel to us in Townsend. Mr. King works hard to use his truck to deliver and spread the gravel right where we need it to be. 

By this morning, it was pouring rain in Townsend. A little rain never stops a cub or our ABR team! Curator Katrina wears several hats at ABR. One of those hats is Volunteer Coordinator. Katrina is planning an upcoming volunteer meeting and spent some time preparing her presentation materials. Curator Seth donned his rain gear and hauled the tires from the dismantled tire bridges to a central location. We will treat them with heat and also disinfect them. Curator Jamie worked in the Cubby Washroom this morning. The Washroom houses all the bottles we use for formula for young cubs. Jamie made sure every bottle was washed and ready to go.

This morning, one of our ABR Interns let Curator Jamie know that the pull chain on the light in the Tiny Office was broken. That meant the light provided no light at all. Curators Seth and Jamie added a new pull chain and reinstalled the light. Now, the light actually provides light for our interns. Job well done!

We expect the rain to continue at least through tomorrow. Our team will brave the puddles and continue with maintenance tasks at the facility. Theres lots to do and we wont let rain stand in the way of progress.

Thank you for all you do to help us get the facility ready for the cubs of the Class of 2025. We sincerely appreciate your support and words of encouragement. We couldnt do our work without YOU!
https://appalachianbearrescue.org/2024-bear-necessities-campaign/Image attachmentImage attachment+6Image attachment

40 CommentsComment on Facebook

You guys are so dedicated to the cubs that come your way! Reason #1 why you are my favorite nonprofit to support.

Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to help the cubs of 2025

Great teamwork.

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ABR Daily Update-February 10, 2025-Cubs and Cowes 🐻🐮

Weather: 46F (8C) Humidity 73%, Mostly cloudy 🌥️

Today, the curators finished dismantling The Tire Bridge in Wild Enclosure #2. It served us well over the years, providing resident cubs and yearlings with a fun way to get from point A to point B, not to mention the gallons of delicious tire water so prized by the little bears. The curators are considering whether The Tire Bridge will return and what configuration it might take.

We came across a photo from 2020 of a former resident crossing The Tire Bridge: Ferdinand, our little "cow bear." Ferdinand arrived at ABR on April 22, 2020, from Kentucky. He was about three months old and had been seen hanging out with a herd of cows for several days. Ferdinand weighed just 6 pounds (2.72 kg), and the vets at UTCVM weren’t sure he’d make it past midnight. Everything about his condition was "severe": severe dehydration, severe hypoglycemia, severe malnutrition, a severe tick infestation, and severe anemia. The doctors put the cub on an IV and admitted him to the ICU, where he spent the night. Ferdinand pulled through and was released back to ABR. It was at this time that a mysterious cow appeared, joined later by her two sisters. Before they began their irritating career as lawyers, The Crawley-Cowe Sisters were hired as nannies to Ferdinand Bear—very protective, officious nannies. "Hired" might not be the right word; they simply showed up and took over cubby care. We don’t think we had much say in the matter. Ferdinand thrived and made lots of friends at ABR. He returned to the wild in Kentucky on January 7, 2021, weighing 83.11 pounds (37.7 kg). We hope he’s well and living a happy life.

📿There's still time to sign up for the Mardi Gras Party. The date is March 1st. The time is 6:00-9:00 p.m. The place is the Willow Ridge Event Center in Townsend, Tennessee. Join us for a shrimp boil with all the fixins and fellowship with fellow ABR supporters, ABR Staff and ABR Volunteers. ALL PROCEEDS from the Mardi Gras Party support the renovation projects at our bear facility. We hope to see you on March 1st!

appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/abr-mardi-gras-party

❤️Please consider donating to Appalachian Bear Rescue’s Bear Necessities Fund.
bit.ly/3Zhmi48

🎉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

ABR Daily Update-February 10, 2025-Cubs and Cowes 🐻🐮

Weather: 46F (8C) Humidity 73%, Mostly cloudy 🌥️

Today, the curators finished dismantling The Tire Bridge in Wild Enclosure #2. It served us well over the years, providing resident cubs and yearlings with a fun way to get from point A to point B, not to mention the gallons of delicious tire water so prized by the little bears. The curators are considering whether The Tire Bridge will return and what configuration it might take.

We came across a photo from 2020 of a former resident crossing The Tire Bridge: Ferdinand, our little cow bear. Ferdinand arrived at ABR on April 22, 2020, from Kentucky. He was about three months old and had been seen hanging out with a herd of cows for several days. Ferdinand weighed just 6 pounds (2.72 kg), and the vets at UTCVM weren’t sure he’d make it past midnight. Everything about his condition was severe: severe dehydration, severe hypoglycemia, severe malnutrition, a severe tick infestation, and severe anemia. The doctors put the cub on an IV and admitted him to the ICU, where he spent the night. Ferdinand pulled through and was released back to ABR. It was at this time that a mysterious cow appeared, joined later by her two sisters. Before they began their irritating career as lawyers, The Crawley-Cowe Sisters were hired as nannies to Ferdinand Bear—very protective, officious nannies. Hired might not be the right word; they simply showed up and took over cubby care. We don’t think we had much say in the matter. Ferdinand thrived and made lots of friends at ABR. He returned to the wild in Kentucky on January 7, 2021, weighing 83.11 pounds (37.7 kg). We hope he’s well and living a happy life.

📿Theres still time to sign up for the Mardi Gras Party. The date is March 1st. The time is 6:00-9:00 p.m. The place is the Willow Ridge Event Center in Townsend, Tennessee. Join us for a shrimp boil with all the fixins and fellowship with fellow ABR supporters, ABR Staff and ABR Volunteers. ALL PROCEEDS from the Mardi Gras Party support the renovation projects at our bear facility. We hope to see you on March 1st!

https://appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/abr-mardi-gras-party

❤️Please consider donating to Appalachian Bear Rescue’s Bear Necessities Fund.
https://bit.ly/3Zhmi48

🎉Our Visitor & Education Center at Trillium Cove is open! Please click on the link for more information: 
https://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.Image attachmentImage attachment+Image attachment

31 CommentsComment on Facebook

You all sure are hard workers!!! The bears are blessed to have you all!! <3

Thanks for sharing this story. Thanks to the very hard working curators. We look forward to meeting y’all at our 8 am tour and the Mardi Gras party !

Just think how much the Crawley-Cowe Sisters have brought to ABR since their arrival! I'm not saying good or bad, just that they have added to Mr. Ben's stories.

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