As winter approaches, ABR prepares for the releases of our cubs and yearlings. It’s time for them to return to the wild, where they belong. To facilitate this, the curators have opened the gates to the Acclimation Pens that are adjacent to the Wild Enclosures, in order to let the bears become used to going in and out at will. Food is scattered inside the Acclimation Pens, so the bears have incentives to enter. Of course there is still plenty of food outside, as well. Gradually over the next few weeks the amount of food outside will be reduced, but not yet.
As we look at how the bears have grown, it’s hard to remember how small and/or sickly they were when they arrived. We’re sure you’ll agree that they are a healthy lot now!
Harlan, one of out Kentucky bears, is looking very chubby and handsome. He is ready for his return to the wilds of KY. He only weighed 13 pounds when he arrived!Aralia, a TN bear, was older when she was rescued, and weighed over 20 pounds. She spent some time in the Hartley House, but now is healthy and shows good climbing skills.Marmalade, another KY bear, was very small when she arrived in July. She has thrived and will be ready to return to the Bluegrass State. Like all bears who have been eating and eating, she needs to drink a lot of water. Clover, still another KY bear, is also thirsty. She weighed less than 10 pounds when she arrived in July, and had to spend some time in the Hartley House when she was observed to be limping.Tweetsie, a TN bear, was an early arrival in May. She was a tiny, 6-pound cub at that time. It’s obvious that she has gained a significant amount of weight.Harlan again, this time in his “centerfold” pose. Handsome boy!A pool party in Wild Enclosure #2. The cubs are enjoying a snack of wet leaves floating in their pool.Sunflower, our South Carolina bear, samples a nice, wet leaf.Sunflower and Raven are munching leaves. Tasty!Flicker and Raven – all the leaves are gone!The three yearlings rest on their platform in Wild Enclosure #4.The Rainbow Triplets wandered into the Acclimation Pen and are sampling the nuts (and doing a bit of wrestling on the side).
We’ll be watching all the cubs and yearlings in the days to come, to see which ones are entering their Acclimation Pens and how long they stay there. When it’s time for release, the fact that they have become used to this procedure will make the capture for release much easier. Watch this space.
