An emaciated yearling cub, weighing only 8 pounds, arrived at ABR late yesterday (February 25). He had been spotted at a convenience center in Newport, TN. He weighs less than one-fourth of what he should weigh at the age of thirteen months. No information is available about his background, and we don’t know how he came to be alone, although at such a low weight he must have been struggling for quite a while. He was transported to the UTCVM, as usual, where he spent most of the night. There were two wounds, one on his chest and he other on his back, that the vets repaired, while contending with his temperature dropping radically during the procedure. Finally, after midnight, he was ready to go to ABR and the Hartley House. He was the first bear to ride in the brand new Landrover Defender, so his nickname is a tribute to that: HRH Rover Bear.

He is the second “HRH” in ABR history. The first was HRH Easter Bear, in 2011. He was given some yogurt and grapes, which he ate, and then he slept. The curators are cautioned against feeding him too much at a time, because of his fragile state. Obviously, he has not been eating much.

We can only hope for the best. It will be a precarious situation for the next few weeks. Stay tuned.