In our last post we recapped the lives of the Wild Enclosure #2 cubs, in preparation for this – the story of the busy day at ABR when 6 of the 7 cubs were worked up for release. The seventh cub is Sunflower Bear from South Carolina, who had to wait in Hartley House, until the SC officers could come for her. Six workups in one day meant very busy curators and National Park Wildlife Officers!
Raven was first. She weighed 5 pounds more than when she went to UT recently to check her limp. Raven weighed 92 pounds!This closeup shows what a beautiful bear she is.Into the transport carrier – Raven is ready to go.Next up is Chickadee, Raven’s sister.Look at that healthy, chubby cub! Chickadee weighed 89.8 pounds.Workup done, Chickadee is ready to go home.Downy Bear weighed 77.8 pounds.She brought cedar chips from the Acclimation Pen on her thick coat.Downy is loaded into the transport carrier. She is ready.Downy’s sister, Firefly, was next. She weighed 90.8 pounds.Look at those healthy teeth! A sign of a well-nourished bear.After her workup, Firefly is ready to go.Flicker, brother to Downy and Firefly, is next to the staging area.Here is Flicker’s big paw.Flicker is a big bear, weighing 106 pounds!Flicker is ready to leave, along with his siblings.Last, but certainly not least, is Boomer Bear.Boomer weighed a hefty 94.2 pounds.Curator Tom took footprints of Boomer and all the other bears.Boomer is loaded into the transport carrier on the truck that will take him to freedom.
And so all of the Wild Enclosure #2 “gang” is now back home, in the wild, where they belong. As always, we wish them long, happy, and healthy lives as wild bears, and we hope they will always forage naturally and stay away from humans!
