The fern was named by special friends at the zoo. Marianne Tagney and David Jones are longtime supporters of conservation efforts at Woodland Park Zoo. Over her 30-plus years Marianne has been actively involved in conservation issues and environmental politics in the Northwest, making a significant difference in the conservation and restoration of landscapes and the ability of zoos to learn to coexist with wildlife. “It was an honor to be asked to name the zoo’s adorable newly rescued baby grizzly bear, little Fern! “We wanted the name to remind us of the forests and alpine meadows inhabited by grizzly bears, and give us hope that we can coexist with wildlife and wild places.” I was delighted to be able to arrange a family meeting with my grandchildren to select a
Fern lost her mother in September in Montana and arrived at the zoo on October 3rd. Fern is currently in quarantine at the zoo’s hospital. This is one of the standard procedures for new arrivals in zoos to ensure the health of all animals.
Fern in one of the hospital’s indoor spaces at Woodland Park Zoo before being introduced to the Living Northwest Trail. Photo courtesy of animal caretaker Joe Roach. |
Fern mothers have been subjected to invasive behaviors such as trespassing on fenced premises, frequenting homes without unsafe attractants or natural foods, and killing chickens secured by electric fences. had a history of collisions. Her hazing campaign with rubber bullets, paintballs, electric fences and noise devices failed. The bear had also been captured and transferred twice in the past few years due to similar conflicts. In light of recent conflicts and bear history, the Montana Fish and Wildlife Park (FWP) consulted with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to euthanize her mother bear.
Fern was born this winter, but was too young to live alone. A cub learns everything about being a bear directly from its mother, including hunting, foraging, and other survival skills. Also, brown bears do not rehabilitate.
According to Kevin Murphy, Senior Director of Animal Care at Woodland Park Zoo, acclimatization to humans during the rehabilitation process creates very dangerous situations later in life. “Bears are very smart and resourceful, and can range over 3,000 miles. It generally doesn’t work,” Murphy said.
This new grizzly cub is the second bear rescued by the Woodland Park Zoo this year. In July, a female brown bear cub named Juniper was rescued in Anchorage, Alaska. Junipers are also winter-born and about the same age as ferns.
Clockwise from top: keema, juniper, and fern! |
After being transferred to a bear habitat, the fern receives behavioral training and gets to know the keepers. Animal keepers begin a series of introductions to outdoor habitats and junipers. “Juniper has quickly become the new favorite of the zoo and is loved by zoo visitors and fans. I’m sure they will be companions for many years,” Murphy said.
Bears live in the zoo’s Living Northwest Trail. Another brown bear, his 28-year-old male grizzly named Keema, also lives in the bear habitat. He and his younger brother Denali came from the Washington State University Bear Center in 1994 as 10-month-old cubs. Denali passed away in December 2020 of old age. Keema can still be seen regularly today.
The natural habitat of the brown bears on the Living Northwest Trail provides a rich environment of intertwined lazy streams. A bear-sized pool with live fish. “Furniture” such as stones for basking in the sun are exhibited. A tree stump makes an excellent nail sharpener support. Browse and novel scents. and a quiet cave for a winter nap.
Keema on the Living Northwest Trail |
Brown bears are an iconic species and these new babies are a symbol of hope for the recovery of North Cascades grizzly bears. Check out the latest information about both babies at: www.zoo.org/brownbear.
Brown bears and grizzly bears belong to the same species, Ursus arctos, but the common name “brown bear” usually refers to coastal bears and “grizzly bear” usually refers to (smaller) inland bears. Scientifically speaking, all grizzly bears are brown bears, but not all brown bears are grizzly bears. American black bears, on the other hand, are an entirely separate species (Ursus americanus), although some bears have brown fur.
Brown bears are usually solitary, but gather in concentrated feeding areas such as rutting season and salmon spawning grounds.
Junipers sniffing in the November chill on the Living Northwest Trail |
Visitors can spot brown bears, elk, wolves, and other local wildlife on the zoo’s Living Northwest Trail and get inspired to discover, restore, and coexist with local wildlife. : #IAmLivingNorthwest.
The Woodland Park Zoo Friends of the North Cascade Grizzly Bear Coalition, It advocates restoring healthy grizzly bear populations to Washington’s North Cascades ecosystem. Last week, the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service launched a new Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process to assess options for restoring and managing grizzly bears in the North Cascades, which were wiped out by humans 100 years ago.
“Decades of effort and research have revealed that grizzly bears, once a key component of the North Cascades ecosystem that once roamed for thousands of years, now cannot recover without human assistance. ‘, said Dr. Robert Long, director of the Woodland Park Zoo. He participates in the Northwest Conservation Program and is a carnivore research ecologist. “Recovery of the grizzly bear is not only logistically feasible and ecologically important, but is supported by the majority of Washingtonians. It is time to bring the grizzly bear back to the North Cascades.” Public comments can be added here.
On the Living Northwest Trail, mountain goats pose for the camera and otters are perfectly placed. |
Woodland Park Zoo advocates for the conservation of species and spaces around the Pacific Northwest through its zoos. Living Northwest Program, wolves, wolverines and many other animals. The recently renovated Living Northwest Trail exhibits are home to the zoo’s brown bears, wolves, and other native wildlife. exhibition and related websites, “We live in the northwest” It offers visitors a number of conservation actions to take to help the species that share the region’s iconic landscape. Anyone can share how they live in the Northwest on social media using #IAmLivingNorthwest. It may also be featured on our website.