The three cubs who remain at ABR will be released back to the wild very soon, but in the meantime they are demonstrating what we might call “getting ready to hibernate” behavior. Of course, this is their first experience with it, so maybe it’s not surprising if they don’t have a clear plan.
They are still sleeping in a pile on the daybed.
There is one of the straw-filled culvert dens for their use. Why don’t they use it?
Last year Tinsel Bear slept in a culvert den and was quite content,
There are vertical dens that mimic the tree dens that bears in the Smokies seek out.
Curator Greg points out a den at the bottom of a tree. Bears adapt to what is available.
A few years ago, a bear family spent the winter in a den under a house.
Here is another den, under the roots of a tree.
People don’t realize that a den doesn’t have to be large. If the bear fits, it’s a good den.
A mother bear checked the area near ABR in 2021 before moving on to find another location.
Another photo from Curator Seth – Phoenix with an apple.
And another. He is much smaller than Scruffy, and will probably be a smaller bear throughout his life, but that’s OK. Just like people, some bears are large and some are smaller.