We posted photos of the SC threesome in the Wild Enclosure. Here is a video that shows how unsure they were about entering that new, wild area. It may seem strange that they didn’t rush out when the door to the acclimation pen was raised, but remember that these little cubs had never been in the wild before. They were found when they were just 5 or 6 weeks old, and have been in cages and pens for their entire life until now. The Wild Enclosure was a strange place for them, and they were very hesitant about leaving the familiar, safe, acclimation pen. This video was taken on June 21, a day or two before those photos of Jerry and then all three cubs in the Wild Enclosure. In the video you will see Jerry investigating the open door, but very cautiously, while the other cubs stayed well away from it, preferring to continue to climb on the familiar “tree” in the pen.
After you view the hesitant cubs, look at what a few days in the Wild Enclosure has done! Here is another video. This was taken on June 28th. See what a difference a few days have made! The three cubs are playing in the trees, and seem perfectly at home there. This is just one more illustration of the fact that much of their behavior and many of their skills are instinctive.