The move was unexpected – sort of. The curators thought it would be good for the cubs in Wild Enclosures #1 and #2 to have access to both enclosures, so they raised the gate between them. Then they watched and waited. Nothing at first; then Boudreaux Bear decided to enter W. E.#2. Unexpectedly, at that moment, The electrical system malfunctioned, cutting power to the cams and electric fencing. So at that point the decision was made to lower the gate until the problem was solved.
This left Boudreaux with the five cubs in W.E.#2, and Beignet and the triplets in W.E.#1.
Beignet and the triplets watch Boudreaux on the other side of the fence. Perhaps they wondered how he got there.
The curators left things as they were, at least for the time being. Boudreaux was in with five bears he didn’t know.
Little Dandelion was the first cub to approach Boudreaux. She followed him around and when he climbed a tree after dark, she waited at the bottom of the tree. She seemed to be intrigued by this big cub. Boudreaux chose a perch up high in a tree. He must have felt safer there. Later on, he came down to the far end of the resting platform. The six cubs seemed OK with each other in W.E.#2. Beignet and the Triplets rested in a cubby pile. They weren’t upset by the disappearance of Boudreaux, maybe because they could still smell him and see him next door. In W.E.#2, cubs played below the platform and foraged in the underbrush.Marigold Bear wrestled with Bentley or Jessamine (identified by the color of their ear tags).
The yearlings were sleeping late.
Sweetie and Iris Bear weren’t in a hurry to get up and start the day.
We believe that the gate between the enclosures will be reopened soon. In the meantime it’s interesting to watch the social dynamics of the new arrangements.
