The curators decided that our three most recent arrivals – Julius, Cecilia and Skipper Bear- needed to move to more suitable quarters, so it was Moving Day for the three little bears.  Julius, who arrived on February 27th weighing 27 pounds was in reasonably good health and needed confinement in an Acclimation Pen just long enough to finish his worm medicine.  That done, he was released directly into Wild Enclosure #4.  As the photos of his release show, he wasted no time getting out into the enclosure.

Julius was in such a hurry that the camera only caught his hind quarters as he ran into the Wild Enclosure!

He ran around in the enclosure, checking everything out.

It was hard to get a good photo of Julius Bear – he was moving too fast!

He checked out the entire enclosure.

Cecilia Bear arrived at ABR on February 16th, and was in fairly good health except for her low weight of 15.5 pounds.  She was transferred to an Acclimation Pen and after a few days was ready for a move into a Wild Enclosure.  But the curators noticed a swelling below her eye and took her back to the UT vets, where an abscess was drained and flushed.  She had to be on antibiotics, and has been housed in the Cub Garage since that time.  The curators thought it was time to move her to an outdoor Acclimation Pen until her antibiotics are finished. When they moved her, the curators were able to weigh her and were very pleased that she is now a 25.1 pound yearling!  She gained almost 10 pounds in just over two weeks.  Cecilia Bear is doing well, and will be ready for the Wild Enclosure as soon as she has finished taking her meds.  These photos were taken before her move, so she is still in the pen in the Cub Garage.

Cecilia Bear hides in her culvert den.

If you recall, Cecilia had her face shaved for the surgery, so she looks a bit odd.  Her fur will grow back soon, making her look like her old self again.

Cecilia Bear has a very good appetite and eats her food eagerly.

She cleans her bowl at each feeding.

The fur will grow back on her face, and also on her right leg that was shaved for the IV.  Then she’ll look like a real bear again.

Skipper Bear was rescued on February 6th.  Weighing just 8 pounds, Skipper was very weak and malnourished.  He was housed in the Cub Nursery where he could be fed every few hours, very small amounts of bear milk replacement and soft foods, and it seemed doubtful that he would survive.  However, he had a very strong will to live, and after 12 days in the Cub Nursery he was transferred to the Red Roof Cub House (Cub House #2) to continue recuperating.  At that time he had gained 4 pounds, weighing 12 pounds on February 18th.  Now the curators thought he was ready for another move – into an Outdoor Acclimation Pen – and when they weighed him again, he was an impressive 24 pounds!  His recovery has been slow but steady, and the curators are very encouraged.  Skipper Bear was seen looking at the trees and grass just outside of the Acclimation Pen.  It won’t be long before he can be out there foraging in the grass and climbing the trees, but in the meantime he is testing his climbing skills on the logs and structures inside the pen.  He has more space now, and is actually outside where he needs to be.  Because he hides from them, the curators were not able to get a photo of him in his new digs – this photo shows him hiding in the Cub House pen – he repeated the behavior in his new pen.  Hopefully they will be able to capture him in a photo soon.

Skipper hides from the curators every time they come near.

We are glad to report the progress of these three yearling bears.  They are doing very well, and we look forward to continued good news about them as well as the 23 other yearlings.