As we have reported, ABR is currently empty of cubs.  Since there are no cubs to report about, we have featured a few of the many cubs from 2016.  Today we look back at Hazel Bear (Cub #246) who was one of the starving yearlings from last year.

Hazel Bear was rescued and brought to ABR as a yearling on January 29th, 2016, when she weighed just 12 pounds (the normal weight for a 3-month-old cub just out of the den). Despite her extremely low weight she was relatively healthy and was released into a Wild Enclosure after a couple of weeks.

These photos were taken in February, when she was in the Wild Enclosure.

Like all bear cubs, Hazel Bear liked to climb trees.

Stumps in the Wild Enclosures are popular places to rest.

A portrait of Hazel by ABR photographer Ken LaValley.

Another portrait. Ken does an excellent job of capturing the cubs at their best.

Given her rough start and extremely low weight, you might be surprised to learn that Hazel Bear was released back into the wild on April 13th, not quite three months later.  She weighed 40 pounds, and with soft mast soon to be available that was sufficient weight.  No doubt she is currently in a den and will not emerge for another couple of months.