After consulting with the Louisiana wildlife officers, the curators decided to start feeding the three overwintering cubs again. They scattered peanuts (25 pounds of them) in Wild Enclosure #4, so the cubs can forage for them for a few days. The cubs are sleeping more than half of the time – about 16-20 hours a day, and according to LA wildlife, that’s typical for bears in their area. Only pregnant females hole up in a den and stay put.
The bears were happy with the addition to their enclosure, and spent more time than usual foraging.
It goes without saying that the curators continue to take advice from the Louisiana Wildlife officers, and ask for their guidance in meeting the needs of our cubs.