SerpApi.Org
Two orphaned grizzly bear cubs will have a home at a zoo in Colorado.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo said it welcomed two six-month-old grizzly bear cubs from Montana last month.
The southern Colorado zoo said the bears are the youngest grizzly cubs it has cared for in decades, and the first orphaned grizzlies to arrive in more than 20 years.
The cubs’ mother, an adult female grizzly, was euthanized due to a long history of conflicts with humans and attractants. The most recent incident was a confirmed livestock depredation in Montana, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo said.
Zookeepers said the cubs will acclimate to life in human care in its conservation center, out of guest view. The quarantine period helps the cubs adjust and allows veterinary staff to provide examinations.
Since arriving at the zoo weighing about 30 pounds each, the cubs are growing quickly, eating, drinking, playing and settling in well, zoo staff said. The zoo said there are no plans to name the cubs yet, and their sexes have not been identified.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is home to 21-year-old grizzlies, Emmett and Digger, who came to the zoo as yearlings after being removed from the wild after many human-wildlife conflicts. The new cubs will not share space with Emmett and Digger, but they will meet them through fences when they show their team the time is right, zookeepers said.
“For us, it’s bittersweet, because although we have high hopes that we can give these young cubs a great life here, we ultimately want wildlife to be wild,” said Rebecca Zwicker, animal care manager in Rocky Mountain Wild. “The folks who work at these wildlife agencies are heroes in my opinion. They want the same thing – for wildlife to live safely in the wild.”
“We work closely with wildlife agencies to provide homes for animals, like Emmett and Digger. Atka, our orphaned moose; Adira and Koda, our orphaned mountain lions; and Ouray, our bald eagle who was injured in the wild and could no longer fly, also came to us for a second chance,” Zwicker said. “We renovated our grizzly bear habitat in summer 2024 to safely house two sets of bears separately and coordinated with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the US Fish and Wildlife Service for transfer of the cubs."
“Our first step in caring for them is giving them lots to do,” Zwicker said. “They are very busy bears, so they’re curious about their surroundings and the environmental enrichment we provide. Unlike wild bears, these two need to be comfortable around us. They’re learning to take food from us, which is an important foundational relationship builder. Once they know when we show up, good things will follow, we can work on cooperative behaviors that allow us to take care of them from the other side of a fence.”
“One cub seems to be a little bolder than the other and is usually the first one to approach staff or shift into the other den when we ask them to move so we can clean or replenish enrichment,” said Zwicker. “We see them engaging with each other and playing, climbing, cuddling, and exploring together.”
“It’s exciting to see animals in the wild, but when we interact with wildlife in the wild, we unfortunately put them at risk,” Zwicker said. “I believe people have good intentions and think they’re helping wildlife by feeding them or following them to get a great photo. But, it’s our responsibility to make sure wild animals don’t get used to humans. When they get comfortable around people and sense an easy meal, wildlife agencies have no choice but to protect the humans involved. If wildlife can sense your presence, you’re too close. I hope these cubs bring our community a lot of joy, and serve as a reminder that the best thing we can do for wildlife is to let them be wild, heed the advice of organizations that work to protect them in the wild, and watch from a safe distance.”
