We’ve often said that the bear rescue business has ups and downs throughout the year. October 19th had both kinds of news. First, TWRA was notified about a dead adult bear at the base of a rocky outcrop along a highway. It appeared that the bear had tried to climb a dead pine tree that gave way. There were two cubs trying to climb down the dead tree to reach the adult bear, who was their mother. After several hours, the TWRA plus a sheriff were able to trap one cub and immobilize the other.

They became ABR bears #342 and 343, nicknamed Stout and Porter Bear. The two male cubs were taken to the UT College of Veterinary Medicine and were examined. They are both healthy. Cub #342, nicknamed Stout Bear, weighs 69.44 pounds and his brother, nicknamed Porter Bear weighs 63.8 pounds. Obviously their mother had done a good job of raising them for their first nine months of life. Their weights are probably close to those of our current cubby residents, and we know how much they have been eating!

Seeing these chonky cubs in the room where we are accustomed to seeing much smaller cubs is a bit startling. They won’t be confined in the Hartley House for long.

Now for the “down” event of that same day. As Bears #342 and #343 were being situated in the Hartley House at ABR, another call came in from a TWRA officer in Unicoi County. A bear cub had been hit by a car, and the officer hoped perhaps medical attention could save it. Curator Quanah contacted UT and informed them of the cub that would be coming in for examination, and made arrangements to receive the cub at ABR after the exam. But unfortunately, the examination of Cub #344 showed extensive injuries and possible brain damage, so the difficult decision was made to euthanize the 55-pound male cub, who was nicknamed Rainbow Bear.

So now ABR is caring for ten, (almost) nine-month-old cubs. Such are the ups and downs of bear rescue. We simply can’t predict what tomorrow will bring. Stay tuned.