We are very shocked and sad to announce  that another of our cub residents has passed away suddenly.  Cub #210 – Pansy Bear, who arrived in late July with her sister and brother, was found dead in the Wild Enclosure where she was residing.  It was a shock to Curator Coy, who found her and took her body to UT for a necropsy.  Coy thought that Cub #210 had fallen from a tree, but the necropsy showed no broken bones or head trauma.  The results of the necropsy were said to be “inconclusive,” so we don’t have an actual cause of death in this case.  Coy believed that it must have been a fall, as her body was found near a tree that she often chose, and there was a broken branch nearby.  We know that cubs do fall from trees, sometimes to their deaths, but without the confirmation of broken bones or head trauma, we can’t be positive.  It saddens us to lose a beautiful cub who was doing so well, as this recent photo shows.  We can take comfort in the knowledge that her last 3 months of life were better than they would have been had she stayed as an orphan in the wild.  RIP, Pansy Bear.

Cub #210 – Pansy Bear.

Pansy Bear arrived in late July and was the smallest of the three sibling cubs.  She had gained weight and was a beautiful little bear, soon to be ready for release.  We hate to announce her death, but when dealing with wild animals there is always uncertainty and the very real possibility of loss.