Photo: Ford, Brad
Wildlife Safari is thrilled to announce the arrival of a new resident to the Bear Loop – a 1-year-old male grizzly bear cub named Takelma.
Takelma's journey began in a remote region of Alaska, where he was discovered orphaned and interacting with humans near a lodge. Recognizing that this could become problematic in the future, and seeing the need for his safety and well-being, Wildlife Safari, in collaboration with a team of dedicated biologists and volunteers in Alaska, orchestrated a special mission to bring the bear cub into human care.
After being carefully examined at the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage, Takelma was deemed fit to make the trip to his new home at Wildlife Safari. Here he has been participating in daily training that assists his keepers in giving him the best possible care. For example, they are currently working on voluntary blood draw training, and through positive reinforcement and trust-building, our team has made this procedure stress-free for our bear. This effort helps ensure our bears overall health, and through a generous amount of cashews used as treats, Takelma willingly participates in this behavior.
"Takelma is already such an intelligent and happy-go-lucky bear who excels in his daily husbandry and medical training." said Sydney Bates, Carnivore Lead Keeper at Wildlife Safari. "We are super excited to watch as his personality continues to grow and see him become lifelong friends with our other one year old female grizzly, Teddy."
Wildlife Safari is delighted to introduce Takelma to Teddy, who is around the same age and shares a love for any and every kind of melon. The plan is to have them become companions, playing and living together for the rest of their lives. The pair was recently introduced and have become fast friends. They can now be seen playing in the bear loop of the Safari Drive Thru.
The entire journey to bring Takelma to Wildlife Safari was made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians. Under the leadership of Chairman Carla Keene, the tribe bestowed the name "Takelma" upon the bear cub, derived from "takelám'a," meaning those along the river.
"We want to thank the Cow Creek Umpqua Tribe for their support of Wildlife Safari. They have been and continue to be an excellent partner for us." expressed Dan Van Slyke, Executive Director at Wildlife Safari.
Source: Wildlife Safari