Dani

Caught on Camera

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Today we have photos of all of the ABR bears except Summitt (no surprise there). We start with the yearlings.  Although she is in the same Wild Enclosure as Summitt, Dani Bear is much more view-able.  She is more often than not in her favorite tree, where the curators are able to see and photograph her.

Dani

Dani Bear chooses this perch in her tree. It looks very comfortable, doesn’t it?

Our newest yearling, Hawkins Bear, has finished the medications he had been taking, and the curators believe he is putting on weight.  He certainly is looking better.

Hawkins

Hawkins Bear sits on the platform in his Acclimation Pen.

Now for the cubs.  Rollo and Otto Bear are growing and are back to eating all of their food, including the bear diet pellets.

Roll- Otto

Rollo and Otto Bear. It looks as though they are planning some mischief.

Now for a real “Caught on Camera” moment that involves one of our cubs from 2015, Ellis Bear.

Ellis - 2015

This was Ellis Bear in 2015, at ABR.

Ellis was released into the wild and is now two and one-half years old.  He was seen mating with a female bear, a very unusual event.  Although female bears mature earlier than males and can become mothers at three or four, males commonly don’t become sexually active until at least five years of age.  But Chris Graves, Wildlife Biologist for University of Tennessee, was “in the right place at the right time” and his son Bereket was able to take this photo of Ellis and his lady friend.

19225646_1626295910716328_5957622812602253592_n_06-16_ellis-2017

Ellis is very young to become a father!

Ellis was identified by the number on his ear tags.  If the female is healthy enough and has gained sufficient weight by the time she enters a den, she may give birth to a cub whose father is Ellis Bear.  Of course, we’ll never know, but it is interesting to speculate.