Today we’re going to review the life of our yearling, Bud Bear. Bud was the one and only yearling bear who came to ABR for care during 2021. You may recall that he was injured by a car in October and suffered a broken front leg as a result of the accident. Fun fact: the wildlife officer who brought Bud in had been a curator at ABR a few years ago!
Wildlife officer Greg Grieco waits for Bud to wake up so he can be transported to ABR.First, he went to UTCVM for surgery. Look how much that shaved, broken leg resembles a human arm!The X-ray image shows the plates that were installed in Bud’s leg.The skinny yearling went into the Hartley House, where he enjoyed the enrichment – treat toys and honey logs!He liked to fold his bed to make it more comfy.His meds were served in another room, so the curators could be sure he was taking them. He was good about that.Bud was dedicated to tipping every bowl that came his way.The curators tried bigger bowls with rocks in them, but Bud still tipped them. You’ll note that he doesn’t look so skinny now!He seemed able to tip any bowl, no matter how big the rock inside.It got to be easy, but apparently was a lot of fun for him.This meant a lot of mopping for the curators, but at least the floor stayed clean.Bud had to return to UT for a checkup. He voiced his displeasure.While he was there, he had three teeth removed due to abscesses caused by eating human foods.The dental surgery meant that he had to spend more time in the Hartley House, where he earned his keep by helping to hold up the walls. This was a job he was good at. We hope that the walls will stay up after Bud is no longer supporting them.At last, Bud was released into Wild Enclosure #4!We were glad to see that Bud can climb very well, with no issues! It took a very short time for him to wreck the resting platform in the Acclimation Pen. The gate was open so he could come in and out.He tried the door, without success, but persisted in trying it.Bud liked his daybed at the base of this tree.He slept there at night and took daytime naps. He was a champion snoozer!He proved many times that his climbing ability is amazing! This yearling can climb!When he wasn’t sleeping in his daybed, he slept in the culvert den. He liked that, too.In fact, he was sleeping inside the den during a snowstorm that forced a change of his release date. He slept through the storm.But it finally came down to the date for his release. There was no doubt he was ready!Treats were put in the Acclimation Pen. Bud went in to eat, the gate was closed, and then he climbed up to sleep on the resting platform. On the big day, Bud looked out at his enclosure one last time, though he may not have realized it was the last time.
Now that we have looked back at Bud Bear and his stay at ABR, our next post will give the details about the actual workup and release. Stay tuned!
