Remember the little injured cub, “Highway?”  This photo was taken 2 weeks ago, when he was still in the carrier, but as he improves he ventures out into the pen.  He is eating more than just yogurt now, and has discovered the joy of hazelnuts!  There is a website  where you can order special packages of nuts that are created just for the cubs at ABR.  These packages include hazelnuts as well as pecans and peanuts, all without shells so the cubs get the full nutritional value of these very important foods.  Highway isn’t the only one who enjoys them.   As you can guess, all of the cubs are crunching happily.  The nuts are a rich source of fat and protein that they need to become the fat little bears they need to be.

Did you know that the hard mast (nut) crop in the fall is critical to the survival of bears?  Eating as many as 20,000 calories per day, mainly from acorns and other nuts, enables bears to pack on the pounds they need before they go into hibernation for the winter.  Unfortunately, our hard mast crop here in Eastern Tennessee is not too bountiful this year, and wild bears are suffering.  This is why we have been admitting such deprived and underweight cubs recently.  If you can order a box of nuts it will help our cubs to thrive.  We thank you for your generosity and for caring about the cubs.