The title is a bit misleading.  True, Lucinda was released into the same Wild Enclosure where Finnegan has been exploring, tree-climbing, and swimming.  But to say she joined him implies that they are close together, and nothing could be further from the truth.  In the wild, yearlings and cubs do not interact.  When Lucinda was in The Cub House and Finnegan was still in the Acclimation Pen, they never came to the adjoining gate to see each other.  The same seems to be true in the Wild Enclosure.  Perhaps, in time, they will do some interacting, but for now – they are going their separate ways.

Here are photos of Lucinda’s introduction to the Wild Enclosure.

The door is open.

Yearlings are cautious and Lucinda is no exception.

She looks both ways.

She sniffs to learn more about her surroundings.

We saw Finnegan do the “sniff test” when he first ventured outside, too.

Lucinda decides it is okay to step outside.

She is still following her nose.

Off she goes to explore.

Instead of climbing a tree, Lucinda took a nap in a culvert den.

Now that the two bears – cub and yearling – are “together” it will be interesting to see what unfolds.