Today we start with the yearlings, all of whom are thriving and healthy. As we have said, they will soon be ready for their release back into the wild, and the coordination of that between curators, wildlife officers, and UT vets is underway. No worries about their readiness!
Just look at the portly HRH Rover! He probably outweighs the yearlings in the wild by quite a bit!
He won’t be so modest when he’s back in the wild.
Townsend is having a lazy day on the platform.
Whose feet are hanging down there?
It’s HoneyBunny!
Her summer coat needs a bit of work. Funny how bears take so long to lose their winter fur. Then they start to grow it in again.
HoneyBunny, like all bears, has a long tongue (the better for scooping up insects).
Another yearling still hanging on to some winter fur is Lovey Bear. He walks very steadily on the safety long in the Cubby Pool.
Lovey is a strong swimmer and a good climber. The surgery to repair his broken femur has worked very well!
Cubs Doodlebug and Tater are doing well in Hartley House.
They seem to be getting used to each other’s company.
Doodlebug was “showing off” for Tater by pummeling Not-A-Polar-Bear. He watched the action.
Hopefully they will learn from each other and bring out the best in one another.
Best buds, Tamale and Burrito, go outside together.
They have such good balance they can stand on the rim of the Cub Tub without slipping! A skill that will be handy when they are on the branches of a tree.
This picture is mislabeled, but it is Flapjack and Thumper Bear, sleeping together in a ground nest at the base of a tree. Good bear behavior!