Two orphaned grizzly bear cubs are the newest residents at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs.
The cubs — who have not yet been named — arrived earlier this month from Montana after their mother was euthanized after what it called a “long history of conflicts with humans and attractants,” including recent livestock depredation in the state, the zoo announced.
“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,” Rebecca Zwicker, animal care manager in Rocky Mountain Wild, said in a statement. “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.”
At six months old, the cubs are the youngest grizzly bears the Zoo has had in decades. The pair has white fur markings around their necks, which are called “collars,” the news release said.
The cubs are staying in the zoo’s conservation center, out of view of visitors, to help them adjust to their new environment. They are also not sharing space with the zoo’s older grizzlies, Emmett and Digger, according to the news release.
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