Nettles, the cub who arrived on October 23 after being injured by a car, has been spending the past three weeks doing a lot of hyperphagia – influenced eating and a lot of resting and sleeping influenced by her need to recover from the trauma. Unlike many of the Hartley House residents before her, Nettles has not interacted with the toys and enrichment items that are there for her. However, that suddenly changed!

In the middle of the night, Nettles wrestled with her ball!

She gave the ball a vigorous shaking!

Then she chewed it and rolled on it.

All of a sudden, she pounced on Not-a-Polar-Bear!

She wrestled him into submission and dragged him onto her bed.

She continued to pummel him!

After all this expenditure of energy, Nettles was exhausted!

In the morning, Nettles did a half-zoomie from her other room, and came in to investigate the wall. It could be that she is beginning to feel confined, and is looking for a way out.

She started to beat up poor Not-Nettles!

The curators are pleased to see this outburst of violence and the interaction between Nettles and her toys. It’s a good sign, and indication that she will soon be ready to enter a Wild Enclosure. Which group will Nettles join? Watch this space – it won’t be long now!