CINCINNATI (WXIX) – Two orphaned black bears from Montana that were deemed unreleasable have found a new home at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.
The 7-month-old female bear cubs were rescued by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
“The Montana FWP works hard to promote coexistence with bears to minimize conflict and keep both humans and bears safe,” said Cincinnati Zoo’s curator of mammals Kim Scott. “The goal is to avoid situations that result in orphaned bears, but that does happen in healthy wild bear populations and the orphans need homes. The FWP reached out to us last week, knowing that we had just completed construction on Bear Ridge, to ask if we could provide a home for these cubs.”
The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden welcomes two new bear cubs.(WXIX)
The bears are currently behind the scenes at Bear Ridge getting used to their indoor habitat, their caregivers and preparing to venture out to their outdoor space.
The Cincinnati Zoo says the bears are receiving full health checks from the zoo’s vet staff and that “The team is already crazy about these bears.”
“We’re going to provide a great home for them and also hope to inspire guests with the uniqueness of a species that can be found right here in North America,” Scott says.
The zoo says that stories will be told in Bear Ridge through signage, activities and in-person interpretation that will focus on stewardship and interconnectedness between humans and nature.
The bear cubs will be introduced to their outdoor space in the next few weeks, the zoo says.
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