On Saturday, February 10, 2023, a very underweight yearling bear was rescued in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, near the popular Laurel Falls Trail. The yearling is a male, the same age as our other bears in residence (about 13 months old). At this age, he should weigh 40 pounds or so, but this little guy weighs just 13.2 pounds. Furthermore, he has a broken right femur that the UT vets plan to repair next week when he returns to the College of Veterinary Medicine. For the time being, he is housed in the Red Roof Recovery Center with the adjustable ceiling lowered to prevent him from climbing. He is on pain medication and will be fed an enriched diet, to  help him to gain weight and make the surgery less risky. Bear #367 has been nicknamed Lovey, in honor of Valentines Day.

Welcome to Lovey Bear. We hope you will thrive at ABR. Because of his injury, he will need the care of ABR for some time to come.