We’re betting that you have never heard of Bur Acorns. Recently, a friend of ABR donated this type of acorn from a huge Bur Oak tree, and they were thrown over the fence into the Wild Enclosure right away, to see how the cubs would react. They reacted by chowing down immediately! Although none of the cubs had ever seen these acorns before they knew instinctively that they were good to eat, and they ate with relish.
If you look closely at the above photo, you can see the shell coming out the side of Finn’s mouth. Bears have spaces between their front and back teeth that allow them to eject the shells and eat just the sweet nut.
Since we suspect that you may not know what a Bur Acorn looks like, here is a photo.
We are most appreciative of the friend who donated these acorns to help us feed our cubs. They certainly have enjoyed them.