Nighttime for Cubs

Posted on   October 18, 2019
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Category  :  Bear Feature Stories & Photos

The ABR cubs are often active during the night. We have proof from both of the wild enclosures.

Triplets wrestle in the dark, of course – it doesn’t matter what time it is, triplets wrestle.

Beignet comes by.
Beignet joins the wrestling match.
Just before 4:00 AM, the cubs started to forage.

Checking out the excavation project.
The cub protected the hole, keeping others away.


There must be something tasty in there. Insects, maybe?

Over in enclosure #2, all six cubs slept by the den (not in it).

A furry pile of cubs.
What was that? Something startled the cubs and they were instantly on alert.
Relief – no danger, so cubs relaxed.
Since they were awake, might as well forage.
Everyone foraged for their breakfast.

It is obvious now that the cubs are truly in hyperphagia. They are eating more and more often, as they fill their tummies and pack on pounds to get ready for winter. The curators are kept busy throwing food – peanuts, chestnuts, acorns, apples, muscadines, and more – over the fence into the enclosures. And the cubs are busy, as we can see, foraging and eating at all hours of the day and night.