Meet Tommy and Tuffy!

Just a few days ago, the Sanctuary welcomed home two American black bear cubs from Alaska. Tommy and Tuffy are almost 6 months old, and came from the wild, where they were left orphaned after the loss of their mother.  Wildlife officials were forced to euthanize the mother bear after she became a potential threat to the public as she repeatedly ventured into heavily populated areas in "trash related incidents." For more information, visit the news article by KTVA Alaska.

Fortunately, her cubs didn't suffer the same fate and will spend the rest of their lives at IEAS. Eventually, the two boys will be introduced to Timmy, as their ages and sizes make them highly compatible. It is our hope that these three can grow up together, learning from each other as they would have learned from mom in the wild.

In the meantime, Tommy and Tuffy are acclimating well to their new home. They've been spotted pouncing, climbing, and playing together in their temporary habitat. Soon enough, with the help of the Emotional Enrichment Program, these boys will be confident, independent cubs with a wonderful life ahead of them!

We'll be sure to post updates on these growing boys!

Stay tuned on our Blog and Facebook for the most up-to-date news!