Remember the two very small cubs who arrived about the time that the big cubs were being released back into the wild?  Benji, after spending time in a convalesence pen, joined the cubs in the Wild Side Crib.  We reported the move in this post.

At that time Garland was still in secluded rehab, but we are happy to report that he, too, has now joined other cubs in a family group.  Garland moved into the Pink Palace with Mandy and her bunch.  Like Lucy in the Wild Side Crib, Mandy is assuming a mothering role with little Garland, and all of the cubs are snuggling together on these cold days and nights.

Garland was hesitant to come out of his safety zone, the carrier, at first.

After a while, though, Garland ventured out into the pen, and it wasn’t long before he was a part of the Pink Palace family group.  He has the companionship (and warmth, on these cold nights) of the other cubs, and is eagerly eating the fruits and nuts that are offered.

While bears in the wild do not eat during hibernation, the ABR cubs must continue to receive nourishment in order to be ready for their wild release in the spring.  Our curator reports that the cubs spend their days in the den, emerging in the evening to eat and then returning to the cozy den to sleep.