This isn’t a photo that you expect to see on our blog.  It is an oak tree full of acorns, and is how we announced on our Facebook page the arrival and death of Cub #228, nicknamed Millie Bear.  She was a tiny, nine-month-old cub who weighed just 9 pounds.  She was found on November 20th and taken to UT for her exam just like all our recent arrivals.  The team of veterinarians, including a surgeon, tried to help her, but when x-rays showed that she had fractured her pelvis and her femur (both injuries had healed, but healed badly) they determined that she simply couldn’t be saved.   If she could survive surgeries, which was doubtful given her size and weakened condition, she would never be able to run and climb like a normal cub; therefore she would not be able to lead a normal, wild life.  As heartbreaking as it was to euthanize a little cub that had survived those injuries, that was the most humane thing to do.   There was no time to get a photo of Cub #228, so as it said on Facebook, “We have a picture of something that would have made her happy.”

Rest in Peace, Millie Bear.

We promised a video to make you smile.  It was posted on YouTube a few days ago, and contrasts the cubs that have been with us a few months (our “first wave” cubs) with the tiny newcomers we have been admitting during the last few days (our “second wave” cubs).  We think you will enjoy it, and it gives us a smile to replace the sadness.  It shows that despite setbacks and cubs that we cannot save, we are making a difference in the lives of many other cubs.  Click here to see the video.