Bear News – August 7th 2026

Bear news August 7

This week’s news includes bear weights, continuing work with target training, and more about creating a welcoming cub habitat.

Bear weights: Lucky 430, Holly 284, Tasha 320.

This past week we were fortunate to welcome Lara Joseph of the Animal Behavior Center. She generously shared her time and expertise helping us evaluate the training methods we are using with our bears. Lara reinforced what we are doing well while also offering valuable suggestions to help us improve and continue presenting the best possible care and training for the bears. We are sincerely grateful for her knowledge and guidance.

Our bear care staff began working with Lucky on paw presentation and Tasha on opening her mouth. This year Holly joined the training. Lucky is currently working on duration, which means extending his paw and keeping it in position for at least 3 seconds. As he gets more confident with the task, the time of presentation will increase. The purpose of this is to eventually be able to draw blood. He is also working with Macy on opening his mouth. He is doing extremely well with the first phase of touching mouth to tongs.

Tasha is now opening her mouth wide enough to check molars, premolars, canines and incisor. All bears have 42 teeth with the exception of the sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), which has 40. Tasha is doing so well, she will even open her mouth as we work with Holly and she watches.

I just began working with Holly. She gets distracted easily but seems to like being a part of the training. As matriarch, she does have to stay focused on defending her 2.5 acres and keep the bears and her staff in line. She does a very good job.

Eventually, we want all of our bears to stand with front feet on the fence (full tummy and front pads check), position body along the fence (injections), paw presentation (blood draw), and open mouth (checking teeth). In the future, we may work with stationing the adult bears but I will be working with cubs to station.

Our new cubs part 2

During their initial weeks, the cubs will undergo carefully managed acclimation which will integrate sensory habituation, environment familiarity, and nutritional stepping stones.

Our staff will replenish the grasses early enough so they begin to grow before the cubs arrive. The native grasses will be left alone and the scents created by the older bears will be in the enclosure. The bears will work with auditory cues and learn their names, accustom themselves to eating as a bell rings and learning the smell, tone of voice, and

appearance of each bear care staff.

During this foundation phase the older ambassador bears will be kept at a distance. Both cubs and older bears will see each other. This will prevent conflict for attention.

Concurrently our bear care team will remain constant and present allowing the cubs visual contact.

As part of the continued education here, you will be able to watch the cubs develop and grow in their new home. We are excited our supporters will be an active part of the cubs‘ growth.

Cub Update!

New pictures show me healthy cubs, one at least with a bit of a brash attitude, but so awesome. Their weights are good, looks to me in the 40+ pound area, and they look as though their winter coat is coming in.

Our current needs for the bears are Brazil nuts, pecans and walnuts. I also need rye grass seed and clover seed. There is, of course, more on our wishlist, but these are our present needs. https://bear.org/support-us/amazon-wishlist-2/

Thank- you for all you do,

Sharon Herrell, Sr. Bear Keeper