If you ever had any doubt about how very dexterous a black bear is, how’s this for evidence? This is a watermelon produce sticker that I found in the bear yard yesterday while scooping. (yes, we are using up all those watermelons on my desk) I’ve actually found even smaller apple and orange stickers before, taken off so smoothly that you’re still able to read the produce number! I’m not sure whether they are using their teeth or their claws,Read more
Posts tagged: #American Black Bear
Out and about
Well, spring is deifinitely right around the corner, and our black bears have become more active on the days when the weather is warmer. Today being around 80 degrees, it was perfect weather to be out and about! Here is a picture of three of them (Mimi, Ursula and Gus from left to right) that I took today at the 2:00 program where they were foraging for their afternoon food that I had scattered. As it continues to get warmer,Read more
Virginia comes in for dinner
If you’ve ever been to one of our Meet the Keeper programs at Bear Overlook, a keeper has probably described to you how Virginia and Gus, two of our younger black bears, can climb up to the top ledge of the rock quarry that is their exhibit. They get up there by climbing up this natural ramp on the back wall of the exhibit. It’s pretty steep; I sure wouldn’t want to attempt it, but bears are great climbers andRead more
Ice sculptures in the bear yard
It is hard to believe since it is almost 70 degrees today but just a few days ago there was quite an ice build up in the bear exhibit by the waterfall. While we were in the exhibit on Thursday to scoop poop and scatter enrichment I snapped a few pics. Sherry noticed that water splashing onto the grass had formed some “ice mushrooms”. If you are ever at the bear exhibit and see ice build up you may alsoRead more
Big delivery!
One of the staple foods in our bears’ diets is omnivore chow. Having four black bears, with three still young and growing, imagine how much chow they can eat! In the fall when they are bulking up for winter, they eat 36 pounds of chow a day along with lots of fruits, vegetables and nuts! This means we get our omnivore chow in bulk… specifically 155 bags at a time. Last week our shipment came in, and there were 4Read more
EnrichBits: It’s hot!
EnrichBits: A monthly look at animal enrichment As you probably already know by now if you are a regular reader, enrichment is all about giving our captive animals the opporunities to exhibit their natural behaviors. Well, on a 95 degree afternoon, the natural behavior for a lot of our outdoor animals is to find a cool shady spot and sleep. These are afternoons where there is no interest in new scents, none of the animals seem to want to exploreRead more