At ABR our valentines are the twenty-five little yearling bears at the facility.  We have some photos to share, starting with our “Valentine card,” featuring Shelby Bear.  Shelby shows off her very long tongue.  All bears have long tongues that aid them in licking up insects and larvae.

Is Shelby Bear expressing an opinion?

Bailey Bear and Clarence Bear are seen in their Acclimation Pens, where they are eating and enjoying the increased space.

Bailey Bear is on the platform in her Acclimation Pen.

Clarence Bear is on his platform, also. He peeks out from behind his tree.

In the Wild Enclosures, the yearlings all seemed to show a fondness for the pears that were on their menu today.  Here is one of them eating a pear.

Pears are good for little bears.  This little bear is getting bigger.

Our smallest yearling, Skipper Bear, who has only been with us for 8 days, is eating all of his carefully measured out food.  He gets chicken baby food, yogurt and chopped pecans, and eats everything.  His scat is normal also, so Curator Janet weighed him.  Hooray!  You may remember that when Skipper arrived a week ago he weighed just 8 pounds.  Now he weighs 9.62 pounds, meaning he gained almost one and three-quarters pounds in a week.  As Dr. Sullivan instructed, the curators will be able to increase his food now to an amount that is 20% of his weight per day.  This should help little Skipper to gain even faster.  The wee yearling is wild – he huffs, stamps his feet, and smacks the side of his pen when the curator comes into the nursery.  Good wild bear behavior, for sure!

Skipper Bear in the Cub Nursery.

Yesterday, the day before Valentine’s Day, we invited people to come to our Trillium Cove Visitor and Education Center.  There were lots of sweet treats, and everyone had the opportunity to adopt one of the twenty-five yearlings.  There were many adoptions!  In addition, ABR President, Dana Dodd, presented a program about ABR in the upstairs Education Room.  Here is a photo of Dana and one of the audiences.  She repeated the program several times during the day.

Dana Dodd, ABR President, talking to visitors about ABR and the bears.

We must also share a photo of the ABR display in the window at Mast General Store in Knoxville.  Volunteer Diana Pope Green decorated the window that will be in place for the month of February.

The Valentine window at Mast General Store.

We wish all of our blog followers a very happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at ABR on behalf of the little yearling bears.