ABR received our 244th bear – since they are now a year old, we can’t say “cub” anymore. #244, nicknamed Bailey Bear, is a female from the Townsend area.  As usual, she was taken to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine for a checkup.  Bailey weighed just 16 pounds, very underweight for a yearling, but appeared to be healthy with the exception of a few ticks.  Here she is, having her exam at UT.

Bailey Bear has her checkup at UT.

She is underweight but reasonably healthy.

Here is one of the ticks that was removed from the little bear.  It is fat, meaning that it was full of her blood.  Ticks are not usually active in the winter, but we’d had a mild winter until the last week or so.

A tick, removed from Bailey.

She was taken back to ABR to take her worm medicine.  Since she doesn’t need any special care, she is housed in the Acclimation Pen for Wild Enclosure 3.

Bailey in the Acclimation Pen. She can see the enclosure she will move into.

Bailey Bear will join the Wild Enclosure 3 yearlings before long.