Two orphaned Alaskan coastal brown bears have found a new home at Brookfield Zoo.
The 10-month-old cubs — the first brown bears to be added to the zoo’s care in more than two decades, according to zoo officials — were found in Anchorage, Alaska, by officials with the state’s Department of Fish and Game. The pair were brought to the zoo Nov. 4, after being accompanied by animal care specialists on the cross-country journey.
They were then held at Alaska Zoo until Brookfield could adapt the zoo’s Great Bear Wilderness area to be more cub-friendly — specifically to prevent them from escaping, according to Brookfield Zoo’s vice president of animal care and programs, Tim Snyder.
“They test everything and are just really inquisitive,” Snyder said, adding that young brown bears are great climbers.
Unfortunately for zoo attendees, the newest additions will be held “behind the scenes” until a veterinarian clears the 150-pound cubs to be put in the outdoor habitats, though the zoo said they may appear in the “near future.”
Snyder said they also won’t be mixed with the adult bears until they’re older since it “wouldn’t make a good mix,” according to Snyder.
While zoo staff were excited to welcome the cubs to the zoo, they did note the situation was “bittersweet.”
Snyder said the two tell a story of how human expansion into habitats can cause “negative interactions” between humans and animals because they were orphaned after their mother had been digging for food in trash cans and became aggressive with locals defending her young.
“We’re very fortunate to provide these two bears a home,” Snyder said. “[And to be] able to allow them to tell their stories to our guests so our guests can come away with an understanding of how amazing these animals are.”
