Video update!

We’ve been saying that the cubs would soon be moving to Wild Enclosures, and on Monday, July 1st it happened for the “Party of Five” in the Cub House. It was not the usual release – the curators had expected to just open the gate from the Acclimation Pen to Wild Enclosure #4 and let the cubs out. But that was not to be. When they tried that last week, one of the Beary Triplets managed to squeeze under the electric fence and climb up the interior fencing of the enclosure. Curator Coy scaled the Cub House and stomped his foot, scaring the Triplet down and all of the cubs back inside. This caused a delay in plans and a relocation to Wild Enclosure #1.

This meant that the cubs had to be captured, put into carriers and transported by truck to the new location. It was the first day on the job for our new curator, Ashley Jones, and she had a busy day, indeed. The bonus feature of the new plan was that it gave the curators a chance to weigh the cubs, which isn’t usually possible until their actual release day. The results of the weighing were interesting: Beignet was heaviest at 34.4 pounds; Boudreaux was next at 33.8 pounds (everyone thought he’d be the heavyweight); Blackbeary came in at 22.6; Bluebeary weighed 21.8; and Hucklebeary was 20.8 pounds. It was a bit of a surprise, since Beignet was the smaller of the LA cubs at admission and Blackbeary was the smallest of the Beary Triplets when they arrived.

Click here to see the release and to watch the five cubs explore the wonders of their new space. It is a treat to see little bears in such a wonderful, natural habitat. For Beignet and Boudreaux, it’s their first experience with grass and trees to climb (you’ll recall they were rescued from a flooded den when they were less than two months old). We’ll have many more opportunities to watch the cubs as they forage, play, and grow in the Wild Enclosure, the last stop on their journey back to the wild.