In our last post we had a photo of Alonzo and mentioned that Wily was not putting in an appearance for that photo shoot.  He cooperated later, and the results are shown here.

Finnegan, our four-month-old cub, noticed (by sight, but mostly by hearing and smell) that there was another bear (Wily) outside his Acclimation Pen.  Of course, he has Lucinda Bear in the adjacent Cub House too, but he and the female yearling  have ignored each other.  They haven’t even approached the gated opening to get acquainted.  But when Finn noticed the other yearling outside, he stood up to get a better idea of this strange bear.

Finnegan stood up to check out the other bear.

When a bear wants to get a better look or sniff of something that caught his eye, he will stand up like this.  People often mistake this posture for an aggressive one, but that is not the case.

What did Finnegan see?  Wily was nearby, hidden in the tall grass.

Wily hides in the grass. Hiding is a yearling strategy to keep safe. He’s hard to see!

Wily is hidden while foraging.

He finds good things to eat.

Perhaps his foraging has made him thirsty.  Bears drink a lot of water.

Wily comes to the Cubby Pool.

He moves around the pool.

Wily still has some of his winter coat. It looks shaggy on his back.

Wily takes a drink from the pool.

The weather is getting warmer.  Maybe next time Wily will decide to cool off with a swim.

All the while, Finnegan is showing interest in his outdoor neighbor.  We are glad that the cub has other bears in his “neighborhood” now, and is not completely alone.

Finnegan can learn about being a bear from the yearling.

Meanwhile, over in Wild Enclosure #3, Milo Bear is happily snoozing in his tree, not giving in to the temptation of treats meant to lure him into a pen for a passive capture and ultimate release.

Milo snoozing in his tree.

All of the bears are doing well.  We would like for Finnegan and Lucinda to meet and get to know each other, but it’s up to them.  We’d also like for Milo to cooperate in his preparation for release, but that is up to him.  We’re sure it will happen eventually.