November 6, 2009
We’ve talked before about Pistol Creek Catch of the Day performing to raise money for ABR. Tonight, the group of four
performed at Sister Cats @ The Market in Maryville. The donations and new memberships raised $500.00 to help feed the 15 cubs at ABR right now. Outstanding results with an evening of music and great food.
Pistol Creek can next be heard at Wild Wings Cafe on Tuesday November 17.
November 3, 2009
ABR education volunteers have been visiting area schools, giving classes an opportunity to “Adopt a Cub” and learn about bears. Those classes that participated received a photo of one of the ABR cubs and an adoption certificate. The children were able to name their cub.
They helped ABR by collecting acorns and hickory nuts and /or coins to help feed the cubs currently housed at the facility. Here are photos taken at some of the schools.
Lanier Elementary First Graders Learn About Bears
ABR volunteers talk to Kindergarteners at Fort Craig Elementary
First Graders at Mary Blount Elementary look at bear items
Lots of acorns collected for bear cubs!
ABR thanks all of the schools that have participated in the Adopt-a-Cub program! Special thanks go to the teachers for their help in making this such a success.
November 2, 2009
Just last week, the 2 Louisiana cubs that have been at Appalachian Bear Rescue since March went back home. Louisiana wildlife officers performed a final workup and fitted them with ear transponders before releasing them. A few days later, the LA officers admitted another orphaned and underweight cub, a 25-pound female that will spend the winter at ABR.
Meanwhile, a yearling was struck by car in Unicoi County, TN. He was transported to ABR. Because he has a head injury as a result of the accident, he needs R&R time. ABR will provide that necessary rest, and since he is seriously underweight, we will also see that he packs on the pounds before he is released.
As you can tell, our cub count remains the same. We still have 14 cubs. All of them are eating voraciously, gobbling down the acorns, hickory nuts, and apples that schools and individuals have collected for them.
October 25, 2009
This article relates the story of a very small orphaned cub, found in Louisiana, that is soon to be on its way to ABR. If all goes according to plan, the two current LA cubs will be picked up and taken home to LA for release in a few days, and the little guy in the article will be brought in, where he will spend the winter.
October 20, 2009
I came across an article about a lawsuit filed by a man who thinks they should have a constitutional right to shoot bears who get into backyard bird feeders. The bear didn’t menace the man and he was prosecuted for illegal hunting when he shot and wounded the bear.
What I want to know is why the man didn’t just bring in his bird feeder.
October 12, 2009
In late September, a black bear sow was killed in a collision with a vehicle just inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, at the “Townsend Y.” She had 3 cubs, all of which were captured by a diligent wildlife officer, who spent three days and nights in the area in order to rescue all of them and bring them to ABR. The cubs were underweight, and because of the trauma involved in losing their mother and then being captured, they were housed in a small cage to recover and gain weight before joining the other cubs in the large (1/2 acre) enclosure. Bear cubs climb with ease, as shown here:
The photo below shows 2 of the cubs in better light. The third and smallest one was still up at the top of the cage.
Last week, we received one more cub. This one had been wounded by the hunter who shot its mother. It was taken to the University of Tennessee Vet School for medical treatment.
September 17, 2009
A while back I mentioned a Yosemite National Park employee, Jeffrey Trust, who has a passion for bears. He recently posted photographs of bear damage to a car that left food in the back seat (which can get you fined in Yosemite and isn’t smart to do in any park where there are bears).
Here are two of Trust’s photos – look closely and you’ll see that the bear took out both rear windows. Other photos show the bear sat on the top of the car munching down on whatever was in the yellow box.
September 15, 2009
Yosemite National Park publishes a daily report, page 2 of the current edition (Monday, September 14, 2009) lists the damages caused by bear activity.
The year to date table:
# of Incidents Damage
Parking Lots 70 $43,582
Campgrounds 173 $ 7,129
Other Areas 166 $ 9,969
Backcountry 27 $ 2,106
Total 436 $62,786
You have to wonder how much of this damage is really caused by park visitors being sloppy with food storage.
It appears these figures are a dramatic improvement because the report states that in 1998, Yosemite bears “caused” over $600,000 in damage.
September 14, 2009
At the end of August, a sow was killed by a vehicle inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, leaving 3 cubs orphaned. Thanks to a very dedicated Wildlife officer, Rick Varner, all 3 of the cubs are now being cared for at ABR. It took Rick 3 long days of watching and waiting to trap the 1 male and 2 female cubs. The family was happy to be reunited. These 3, added to the 10 cubs already being cared for by ABR, make for a full house at the facility! 
The newcomers are extraordinarily underweight for their age; therefore they require the expensive formula that was given to the other cubs earlier in the year. Once again we must ask you to help us with generous donations as we struggle to fatten up these little ones.
