Zoo Welcomes Bear Cubs

The Sequoia Park Zoo announced May 23 that two bear cubs have arrived, becoming the first denizens of the new bear and coyote habitat.

“The cubs will not be visible to guests — but might be heard playing behind-thescenes in the care quarters — while they become acclimated to their new home,” the announcement states. “Animal care staff will monitor the health and comfort of the cubs over the next month, a standard practice among zoos, before introducing them to visitors. Guests can expect to start seeing the cubs in late June.”

The boy named “Tule” and girl named “Oak” were rescued separately last year by Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care and have been raised together. Oak weighed just 6.5 pounds when she was found in April of 2022 in the Oak Run area of Shasta County, while Tule was a mere 3.7 pounds and just a few weeks old when he was discovered a month later on the Tule River Nation Reservation in Tulare County. Efforts to find his mother were unsuccessful, the release states.

According to the zoo, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife determined both were non-releasable. In Oak’s case, the cub “never displayed the appropriate fear response to humans, despite the best efforts of her care team to prepare her for life in the wild.” For Tule, health issues prevent his coat from growing back, an impediment to survival in the wild.

“Oak and Tule were the first orphaned bear cubs admitted to LTWC in the Spring 2022 season. On the LTWC webcam, they have often been seen wrestling, chasing, and socializing with each other,” the zoo’s announcement states. “We thank Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care for their hard work and dedication to Oak and Tule, and we are deeply grateful to Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria for their generous support of the new habitat. The Sequoia Park Zoo looks forward to fostering Oak and Tule’s continued friendship and growth and sharing their stories with our guests.”