Binder Park Zoo Has A New Home For The 3 Little Bears
The bear exhibit features three orphaned sibling cubs, two males and one female, who are named Koko, Achak and Taima. The three black bears were found alone and starving as cubs in Alaska by Alaskan wildlife officials and brought to the zoo in July 2012. The mother black bear had disappeared, leaving behind three baby bears.
The now 2-year-old bears are presently very active, often playing inside the exhibit, climbing on rock piles, fallen trees and a wood tower.
"They are absolutely loving it," Brett Linsley, the zoo's curator of collections. "They are very happy."
The bear exhibit is about a quarter acre in size, surrounded by a 16-foot high fence and electric barrier, Linsley said, and staff will be planting grass and painting the fence black to improve the exhibit's appearance by this summer.
Zoo guests can observe the bears through a rustic log cabin space with 2-inch thick glass windows for great views of the bears as they frolic, forage and spar.
On the other side of the zoo, the savanna in Wild Africa is currently closed while improvements are made to the chute that leads the animals into the exhibit space. Zoo officials said earlier this week that they hope to bring out the savanna animals by next week.
Zoo information can be found by calling the Zoo office at (269) 979-1351 or going online towww.binderparkzoo.org. Check for Zoo updates on Facebook.