It’s been a while since we received a new cub, but because of a roadkill near Townsend, we now have #423, nicknamed Scruffy Bear. When you look at his picture, you will understand the name – a male cub, eight-and-one-half months old, like our other cubs, but he is very underweight, even for a wild cub. The road from Townsend to the nearest town, Maryville, winds along the river and the curves in the road make it very hard to see. It was dark when Scruffy’s mom was hit, and he and a sibling went up a tree. The trap was set by the tree and Scruffy came down and entered it. Unfortunately, his sibling did not, but a trap and camera will monitor the area and hopefully the sibling can be rescued.
Scruffy weighed just 12.5 pounds, which is very small for a cub at this time of year. From the looks of his sibling, it appeared that the other cub was even smaller. But according to Curator Greg, who went to pick Scruffy up, the road-killed mother was a small bear, so it may be that Scruffy will remain on the small side. We hope (and expect) that he will gain weight rapidly on the bountiful ABR cub diet! See the story of Scruffy in this video. Click here: https://fb.watch/v9dY8EAUWR/