Here is a wonderful sequence of photos that our curators took, showing Carrie Bear grooming. Bears groom themselves to get rid of ticks and to keep their fur clean. In the wild, the mother bear grooms her cubs, licking them all over. This starts in the den, when she licks them to stimulate their urination and defecation (you may remember that our curators opted to use warm baby wipes for this task). Another way that bears get rid of pesky insects is by swimming. But licking works very well. This is another example of how much behavior is instinctive. Carrie had almost no time with her mother, and yet she knows she must groom herself.
Carrie starts to groom
The grooming continues
She grooms every part
It’s quite a process.
Mustn’t forget the feet.
Close-up of her grooming.
Carrie Bear would make her mother proud! She knows just how to take care of herself.