The two bear cubs at ABR, Otto and Rollo, have taken a turn at being finicky about their food.  Just like human toddlers, they decided that they only wanted their favorite foods – the yummy fresh fruits, such as berries and grapes.  While these are definitely an important part of a bear’s diet in the wild, our curators must also feed the Mazuri bear diet pellets that provide the vitamins and minerals that a growing cub needs.

At first the cubs ate the pellets along with the fruit, with no problem.  Then they started leaving the pellets and only eating the fruit.  Just as human children need more than just sweet treats, the bears need more than just sweet fruits.  So the curators changed the diet plan.  They withheld the fruit and just put pellets (drizzled with fruit juice) and peanuts in the cubs’ bowls.

The cubs’ taste buds may be finicky, but their tummies urge them to eat, so they ate the pellets and peanuts that were served.  They will have more fruit after a day or two, and perhaps they will have learned to eat the pellets by then.

Otto and Rollo Bear on their platform before their meal is served.

Rollo resigns himself to eating the pellets and peanuts.

They are not the neatest eaters!

The curator, who has restricted vision to avoid habituation of the cubs, could not get all of Otto in the picture.

In the other Acclimation Pen, Hawkins is making progress.  He has a good appetite for whatever is served.

Hawkins Bear is sitting up more often and huffs at the curator.

In the Wild Enclosure, Dani Bear posed in her favorite tree.

Dani Bear relaxes in her tree.

She seems to be most comfortable in the tree, and is fairly easy for the curator to spot.

As usual, Summitt Bear was nowhere to be found.  He seems to prefer to hide in the thickest underbrush.  He is in the trees when it rains.