Grizzly bears are finally back at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, as two 4 month old brothers from Montana played in the zoo’s outdoor habitat for the first time last Thursday.
The bears were alert and curious, sniffing everything and standing on their hind legs every time a new noise was heard and playing with balls. They were orphaned when a man looking for shed antlers near Helena, Montana shot their mother in self defense when he startled her. They arrived at the zoo on June 2.
The cubs are a welcome addition to the zoo as it has been without grizzlies since March, when Warren, a 27 year old bear born at the zoo, passed away.
Andi Kornak, curator of carnivores and large mammals at the zoo, said, “When Warred passed the zoo made an immediate decision to acquire more grizzly bears.”
Sue Allen, zoo manager of marketing and public relations, said, “They were in great shape when they arrived, weighing about 20 pounds each.”
The zoo would like the public to choose the cubs’ names. It has a tradition of giving animals names that are indigenous or that have significance to their native land. Names to choose from are Clark, cody, Cooper, Custer, Hamilton, Jackson, Lewis and Ronan. Voting begins on Thursday and ends on Sunday, July 31, with the winning names to be announced on Monday, August 1.
