Two more cubs have arrived at ABR! On Sunday it was #414, nicknamed Slick Bear because he was so slick and avoided capture for 19 days, giving TWRA officers, Park Service rangers, and ABR curators a real challenge. He had been spotted alone at a campground on July 17, but disappeared before anyone could rescue him. Nearby neighborhoods were patrolled, and locals monitored their security cameras. One of those camera watchers saw him at a bird feeder, so we set up a trail camera and a trap, but Slick was so clever that he got the bait without triggering the trap! A large culvert trap was set up at another location, and Curator Greg sat there, ready to pull the rope and close the trap. But just as Slick was about to enter the trap, a passing car spooked him, and he bolted. Finally, On August 5th, as Curator Jamie was on watch, Slick walked into the trap and was rescued! Whew! it isn’t easy to rescue a bear cub, because every instinct tells them to avoid humans. But here was another success with #414 – Slick Bear!
Slick Bear in the culvert trap. He is six months old and weighs 22.05 pounds.
But believe it or not, the very next day (today, in fact) we admitted another male, six-month-old cub! This story began on Sunday, when the National Park Service was contacted about a sow who had been hit by a car. The report said she had at least one cub with her. Wildlife Ranger Ryan Williamson responded and found the Mother Bear with a badly injured leg. He could hear the cries of a cub nearby, but couldn’t see a bear cub anywhere. He said this cub was a “ground runner,” because he went through the woods rather than climbing a tree. Hoping that the sow might still be able to care for her cub, as other bears, hit by vehicles, have done, it was decided for Ryan to leave the area and return the next morning. Sadly, when he returned the condition of the sow was unchanged; she had not moved or made any progress. The always difficult and heart-wrenching decision was made to relieve her of her suffering and bring her cub to ABR. This little “ground-running” cub was easily trapped. He is Bear #415 and his nickname, Lyles, is in honor of the Olympic gold medal winning USA athlete, Noah Lyles.
Lyles is healthy, weighing 15.4 pounds. He and Slick are next-door neighbors in The Cub House. So now ABR is caring for 21 six-month-old cubs!
Any donations for their care will be deeply appreciated. Thank you!