Bears don’t like windy conditions. This is true of adult bears as well as cubs, because the two senses that bears rely on the most are smell and hearing. Both of those senses are diminished when it’s windy.

Nettles spent most of the day snoozing on the branch of her tree.

In each of the other enclosures, it was the same story – cubs in trees while the wind was blowing.

Taco and Myrtle came down briefly.

Myrtle didn’t stay down long before climbing back up her tree.

The wind was gusting so hard that one of the metal sleeves that are around some trees to keep bears from climbing blew off. The curators had to make an unexpected trip into the enclosure to retrieve it, so that no cub would get injured. Safety protocols were followed and the sleeve was removed.

When the wind died down, the chonky cubs in Enclosure #1 came down to rest on their platform. The cubs in other enclosures did the same.

The girls in Enclosure #4 were sound asleep on their platform.

Nettles came down to forage.

She was slow and deliberate in her descent.

Look at that nice, round caboose! She has been chubbifying!

Nettles took a long drink.

Then off she went into “fight club” territory to forage! Brave cub!

She was back up her tree before dawn.

The fight club sparring started up again in the morning. For now, the girls are choosing to ignore Nettles, although they are certainly aware that she is in their enclosure. Their noses have told them so ever since she was in the Cub House.

It will be interesting to see how the relationships unfold. Stay tuned!