On June 4th, two more cubs were brought to ABR, albeit separately. First one in was #293, nicknamed Dandelion Bear. A 4-month-old female cub from Polk County, Dandelion was found on a road and picked up by TWRA. When taken to UT for the usual exam at entrance, the cub weighed only 4.18 pounds, or about half of what she should have weighed. Apparently she had survived (for how long we don’t know, but it is suspected that she was on her own for several days, at least) by eating blackberries and drinking water from a ditch.

The little cub is basically healthy, but underweight. She will be given bear milk replacement formula in small amounts until her system can handle more.

But that’s not all! Late that same night, the TWRA officer brought Dandelion’s brother, ABR Bear #294. He had searched for the second cub, after it was reported that people had seen two orphans. Curator Coy took the little male cub, nicknamed Bentley Bear for the town of Benton near where the cubs were found, to UT the next morning.

Bentley Bear is twice the weight of his sister at 8.58 pounds. He is healthy except for some ticks and slight anemia. He was reunited with his sister in the Cub Nursery.

This brings our total bear population to ten – three yearlings and seven cubs. We will watch and report on their progress as the days pass.