AssetID: 53296156
Headline: Orphaned Bear Cubs Tim And Jess Make Public Debut In Chicago
Caption: Tim and Jess, two orphaned 11-month-old Alaskan coastal brown bears made their public debut at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago's Great Bear Wilderness on Monday (11December2023). The cubs, who arrived at the Zoo in early November, may look playful now but have a tragic backstory as they were orphaned in Anchorage, Alaska. They now have a forever home in Chicago thanks to the collaborative efforts among the Zoo, Alaska Zoo, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G). ADF&G officials safely retrieved the bears in Anchorage and contacted Brookfield Zoo about providing the brother and sister cubs with a permanent home. The young animals were temporarily housed at Alaska Zoo, while logistics were finalized for transporting them to Chicago. On November 3, animal care specialists from Brookfield Zoo accompanied the then approximately 150-pound cubs to Chicago, thanks to the extreme generosity of FedEx. Since arriving at Brookfield Zoo, the bears received physical examinations and have been becoming familiar to their new home behind the scenes and the animal care staff. Axhi, a 28-year-old brown bear, also resides at Brookfield Zoo. In 1995,he along with his brother, who sadly passed last year, were orphaned as well. The overall global brown bear population is around 200,000, and the species is listed as “least concern” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources’ (IUCN) Red List. Approximately 30,000 bears live in Alaska, where they still face threats of habitat loss due to development, mining, logging, and hunting. In addition, bears are coming into conflict with humans more and more. The bears are attracted to garbage and food left out for pets and wildlife such as birds, and this often leads to the bears being lethally removed from these populated areas.
Keywords: brown bears,animals,feature,video,chicago,orphans
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