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Orphaned Yellowstone Grizzly Cubs Headed To Toledo Zoo

Two orphaned Yellowstone grizzly cubs will be going to the Toledo Zoo.
Flickr user Carl Berger (CC-BY-NC-2.0)
Two orphaned Yellowstone grizzly cubs will be going to the Toledo Zoo.

The two cubs of a Montana grizzly bear that killed a hiker in Yellowstone National Park are going to an Ohio zoo.

The Toledo Zoo is fully accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The AZA sets strict guidelines for animal handling and care. Spokesman Rob Vernon says there are over 2,400 facilities in the United States permitted by the USDA to exhibit exotic animals. Only 229 of them are accredited by the AZA. The Toledo Zoo is one of them.

"They definitely have the staff, and the curator there is top notch and she'll figure out the best way to care for these two girls, and that's what they're in the process of doing right now. It's just a very happy ending to a very unfortunate situation there in Yellowstone."

The Toledo Zoo says the cubs are less than a year old. Wildlife officials say that's too young to survive in the wild without their mother. The bears currently weigh about 50 pounds apiece.

Their exact arrival date to the zoo isn't yet known, but expected to happen sometime this fall.

Edward O’Brien first landed at Montana Public Radio three decades ago as a news intern while attending the UM School of Journalism. He covers a wide range of stories from around the state.
edward.obrien@umt.edu.  
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