We have written about the amount of time that the cubs spend foraging (especially now, in their state of hyperphagia), the time they spend napping/snoozing in trees and the time spent in play that actually helps them to develop their muscles and skills they will use when they are back in the wild.  Today we add another cub activity – digging!  With their strong, curved claws bears are easily able to dig for insects and grubs or to excavate a den site.  The three ABR cubs have taken to digging holes in the enclosure.  Whether they are actually digging up insects or practicing den-digging for when they return to the wild, we don’t know, but it is obvious that some digging has occurred.

Signs of the cubs’ digging activities.

What were they digging for? Only the cubs know for sure.

Digging can be hard work. Rollo takes a break on Summitt’s branch.

Looking around, Curator Coy spied parts of Apollo.

Not quite all of Apollo Bear.

There he is! A very chubby cubby!

Apollo and Otto circle the protected sapling. Good thing it is protected!

One bear or two? It’s hard to tell. Thanks to the arrows we see which is which.

It is a good thing that some of the saplings are protected by the coiled tubes.  Were they not, the cubs would make short work of them.