If you remember, a couple of weeks ago, the cubs (particularly Eliza) were frightened by the flock of noisy crows that came to steal some of their food.  When the crows flew in, cawing, the cubs made for the safety of the trees.  Curator Coy installed a “fake, dead crow” that he was told might frighten the crows away.  It seemed to work, and a week or more had gone by with no crow visits.  That peace and quiet ended when a couple of the black birds returned, but Coy took these photos that show how much braver the cubs are now.  The crows did not scare them at all.  Maybe they have figured out that they are bigger than the crows – and maybe it’s just a matter of them growing up a bit and developing more courage.  Here are the photos that show the newly brave cubs.

The first photo shows the fake, dead crow and one of the returning live crows.

Looks like the crows have become accustomed to the “dead” crow and are not bothered by it any more.

Andy and Eliza came down to forage in spite of the crow.

Brave Eliza Bear – the crow did not frighten her into climbing a tree!

Finnegan came down to join Eliza in foraging.

Finnegan went off to forage in another area. He was not afraid of the crows, either!

We are proud of our brave little bears.  They are growing up, getting bigger, stronger, and more courageous as they learn about other animals in their world.