Three Yearlings - Appalachian Bear Rescue

As you know, our bear population now stands at 3. The two KY girls and the TN girl just became officially yearlings a couple of days ago, and they are enjoying their newfound freedom in Wild Enclosure #4.

They have been busy exploring every inch of their enclosure.

So far, it seems that their favorite parts of the enclosure are the Firehose Hammock by Aralia and the Vertical Den that you can see in the upper right corner of the photo.

Suddenly the “zoomies” will send them running throughout the space.

Aralia, who was pacing and showing signs of stress previously, is still doing some pacing, but not as constantly. She is a little bear who does not like captivity, even in a Wild Enclosure.

Clover seems to be cheering Aralia up. She is a good and caring friend.

Foraging and resting together should help Aralia’s mood.

It is heartwarming to see a young bear like Clover taking care of her friend. Sometimes we wonder if animals are aware of others and their feelings. A scene like this certainly seems to show that they do understand and empathize with one another.