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Written by: Lynn Rogers, PhD

When I first met Teddy he made sweet grunts and tongue-clicks, I knew his intentions were friendly and gentle.  Bears are not deceitful, so I trusted him.  I'm not sure why we bonded so quickly, but Teddy is the first bear I ever met that preferred human contact over food.

ted_open_mouth_to_lynn.jpgTeddy is a sweetheart without a nervous bone in his body.  He obviously likes people, which is a tribute to the people who raised him.  A memory I will always carry of Ted is the first time I trusted him to do whatever he wanted with me.  He stood up, put both paws on my shoulders and pulled me to him.  He licked my face, then went to gently biting it, especially my beard.  He opened his mouth wide, practically engulfing my head ever so gently.  Finally, he snuggled his big head against the side of my neck and just held it there as his claws clasped my arms and shoulders.  Too human.  I wondered if he was feeling the need for closeness that people feel.  He sure seemed to.

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ted_meets_chip_6-18-07.jpgChip Hanson, DVM provides veterinary services for the North American Bear Center.  During Ted's checkup on June 18, 2007 he showed his approval of our choice!
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ted_face-on.jpgTed may be the largest black bear that ever lived

In fall 2006, Ted weighed an estimated 950 to 1000 pounds.  That estimate is based on the following.    

  • In fall 2006, bear expert Jeff Traska saw Ted in Ted's lifelong Wisconsin home and estimated him at over 900 pounds.    
  • Ted then went into hibernation and lost weight over winter.  A 20% loss would be expected, which would be between 180 and 200 pounds.  When Ted arrived here at the North American Bear Center in late April 2007, he still had a huge belly.  The caretakers restricted his food intake and made him work harder for his food than he had ever worked before.  Over the summer, they watched Ted's belly shrink and watched him become lighter on his feet.  
  • On November 21, 2007, Ted was as lean as ever,  and he weighed 860.5.

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