During the entire month of November, the Minnesota Zoo​ will be sharing stories of the many rescued and rehabilitated animals that we care for. All of our animals receive amazing care from zoo staff, volunteers and community members. All of this work is made possible because of YOUR amazing support – thank you! Check back daily as we feature a new story from around the Zoo.

“Syke,” “Kuruk” and “Tiva” have made their home here at the Minnesota Zoo after a shaky start to their lives. All three black bears were born in the spring of 2010 around the area of Leech Lake in northern Minnesota.  They were found separately orphaned when they were about 5 months old. This was too young of an age for survival alone in the wild so they were taken to a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) facility.  The DNR knew that we were building a new Black Bear exhibit along our the Medtronic Minnesota Trail and contacted us to see if could provide a home for them and they were brought here in November 2010. All three bears made their public debut at the Zoo in the fall of 2012.  They have grown from “little” 70 pound cubs to close to 300 pounds for the males and 200 pounds for Tiva! The average weight for a black bear is 200-600 pounds. Daily enrichment keeps our bears mentally and physically strong, even as they prepare for the winter.

Did you know? During a bear’s hibernation its body temperature drops about 10 – 12 degrees and its metabolic rate is reduced only by about half. Bears do not eat, defecate, or urinate during hibernation. As cold weather approaches, the black bear forages selectively on the richest food to build up fat adding four inches of fat and gaining 2–3 pounds a day.