Jessamine’s Big Day

Posted on   June 23, 2019
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Category  :  Bear Feature Stories & Photos

The Polk County twins, Dandelion and Bentley got accustomed to the large Acclimation Pen very quickly, and that was a good thing, because the very next day Jessamine Bear joined them.

The curators moved Jessamine from the Red Roof Recovery Center, using the Cubmobile as they had done with Dandelion and Bentley the day before.

When Jessamine came in, the cubs reacted as cubs do – they were scared and they climbed!
A few minutes later, Dandelion climbed down to check out this new bear.
Bentley watches from above. Jessamine is twice the size of Dandelion.

The curators estimated the weights of the three cubs after moving them. Jessamine is the largest at ~20 pounds; Bentley is next at ~15 pounds, and Dandelion is the smallest at ~9 pounds. Dandelion doesn’t let her smaller size interfere in any way, as we will see. She is a feisty and fearless cub!

Dandelion and Jessamine enjoy snacks together. Bentley stays up on the platform.
Jessamine joined Dandelion on the platform. Bentley is still being cautious.
Back down again, Dandelion initiates play with Jessamine.
Bentley finally comes down to eat.
The rest of the day, they were up and down as they got used to each other.
All three cubs tested the platform.
It was a good day in Acclimation Pen #2. The curators were pleased.

It’s always interesting and educational to see how bear cubs react to new situations. The three cubs went from being scared at first to seeming to accept their new reality by day’s end. Bears are very adaptable animals. We will learn more as we watch their behavior going forward.