Late at night on September 7th, ABR admitted another cub, #324, nicknamed Aralia Bear, for the flowering plant also called “Devil’s Walking Stick,” that grows in Tennessee and in Wild Enclosure #4. It is not known how Aralia became an orphan, but she was found in Sullivan County without a mother or sibling. At her exam at UT College of Veterinary Medicine the next day, she weighed 26.6 pounds. Curator Coy had noticed that she seemed to be limping, favoring her right front leg, and reported this to the vets. They are consulting with orthopedic surgeons to determine what might be done next. Meanwhile, Aralia is in Hartley House with the usual course of anti-worm meds and an anti inflammatory medicine, as well. She has a healthy appetite!

We hope that Aralia is able to recover with help from the UTCVM. We now have eighteen seven-month-old cubs and three nineteen-month-old yearlings. Not a record, but certainly quite a crowd!