Appalachian Bear Rescue

10/05/2025

ABR Daily Update-October 4, 2025-7th International Human-Bear Conflicts Workshop🐻

We apologize for such a late post today. Most of the ABR staff will be on mountain time for the next week! Appalachian Bear Rescue serves on the planning committee and as a fiscal sponsor for the International Human-Bear Conflicts Workshop.

This year the workshop is taking place in Kalispell, Montana and will welcome bear professionals from around the world. We will have a longer (and earlier) post for you tomorrow. ☺️

Don’t forget to bid on the Beignet Bear painting by Monica Wells before tomorrow evening!! https://ebay.us/m/vXTYaZ

10/03/2025

ABR Daily Update-October 3, 2025-Cubs Forever Campaign Artwork Auction: Beignet Bear 🐻

Weather: 78°F (25°C) Humidity, 43%, Mostly Sunny ☀️

Now through Sunday, October 5th at 8PM eastern you have a chance to make Monica Wells’ canvas painting of Beignet Bear ALL YOURS! Beignet Bear’s story is one that highlights the impressive resiliency of black bears. Bid TODAY: https://ebay.us/m/vXTYaZ

10/02/2025

ABR Daily Update- October 2, 2025: Cubs Forever Campaign Artwork Auction pt. 3 - Beignet Bear 🎨🖌🥯

Weather: 83F (28C) Humidity 51%, Sunny☀️

Thank you all for your thoughtfulness, love and gratitude on yesterday's post honoring Dr. Jane Goodall's legacy. We love our ABR community.

Exciting news, starting at 8pm (EST) TONIGHT, you can bid on another one of Monica Wells' original paintings of "famous" ABR bear Beignet! Here is the link (it won't work until 8pm): https://www.ebay.com/itm/286853705712

Beignet Bear's story is one that certainly highlights the resilience of black bears. Beignet and her brother Boudreaux came to ABR in 2019 from Louisiana via our in house aviation services, Bear Force One🛩🐻 (thanks Tom Sabo!). Officers from Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries found the two bear cubs orphaned due to their den being flooded. No one is sure what happened to their mother, but the officers were quick to call ABR to take in these teeny tiny cubs. Beignet weighed just over 1 pound and her brother hardly weighed more. After a quick transfer to Bear Force One, a handoff to ABR curators, and a trip to UTCVM, the cubs were send back to ABR with simple instructions: chubbify, grow, sleep... and chubbify some more! While Boudreaux followed orders willingly, Beignet proved a tough customer- she wouldn't eat. ABR staff decided to bring Beignet back to UTCVM to the ICU so she could get the best care possible. Luckily, Boudreaux was allowed to join on this trip to keep his sister company.

Shortly, Beignet started eating and growing and was released back into the care of ABR with her brother. Things were going well, until cub antics got the best of this Louisiana Bear. In August, Beignet fell off a Wild Enclosure platform and broke one of her hind legs🩼. After a surgery to repair the leg and some serious R&R, Beignet was cleared to go back out into a Wild Enclosure. Alas, only a few months later, the rambunctious cub rebroke the same leg. In order to ensure her injury was able to fully heal before she returned to the wild, Beignet was kept over the winter at ABR with Boudreaux.

The following May of 2020, Beignet and Boudreaux were returned to the Louisiana Wild as two happy, healthy yearling bears.

This painting of Beignet captures the grit and resiliency of black bear cubs, and can be hung in your very own home to remind you of one of many incredible stories of ABR cubs. All proceeds go to our Cubs Forever Campaign to help us build new tomorrows for future cubs in need like Beignet and Boudreaux. Bidding starts TONIGHT at 8pm (EST) and goes until this Sunday at 8pm!

10/01/2025

ABR Daily Update-October 1, 2025-A Sad Day

Weather: 82°F (28°C) Humidity 44%, Sunny ☀️

We are saddened to hear of the passing of great conservationist and animal activist Jane Goodall. 😞 In celebration of her life and lasting impact on the natural world, we share this quote:

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

We are honored to have such a community of supporters, followers and friends who are dedicated to making a difference for black bears. 🐻

With great sadness, the Jane Goodall Institute confirmed this morning the passing of the organization’s founder, Dr. Jane Goodall, age 91 who died peacefully in her sleep while in Los Angeles, CA for her speaking tour in the United States.

Dr. Goodall’s life and work not only made an indelible mark on our understanding of chimpanzees and other species, but also of humankind and the environments we all share. She inspired curiosity, hope and compassion in countless people around the world, and paved the way for many others — particularly young people who gave her hope for the future.

In 1960 Dr. Goodall established the longest running wild chimpanzee study in Gombe National Park, Tanzania which continues to this day. She pioneered and sustained the Jane Goodall Institute’s community-centered conservation initiatives across the chimpanzee range for over four decades. Her legacy includes the creation of JGI’s international environmental and humanitarian youth program Roots & Shoots, which is actively driving change in 75 countries and counting around the world.

The Jane Goodall Institute is incredibly grateful to all our supporters, partners, and friends, especially during this difficult time. To add a personal remembrance of Dr. Goodall and continue her legacy for future generations, please visit JaneGoodall.org/RememberingJane

💚

Photo credit: Marko Zlousic

09/30/2025

ABR Daily Update- September 30, 2025:

“Building foundations for the future”

As we progress through the construction the new enclosures, the time has come to start the process putting together a major component of each wild enclosure; the acclimation pens.

ABR initially started out with round wire acclimation pens, generously donated from the Knox Zoo nearly 30 years ago. Overtime, we found the plastic floor harder to clean and far less durable than concrete. Not to mention, the cubs love to crawl under the rounded acclimation pens for denning. When the construction of wild enclosure 3 and 4 was underway, the switch to a ground level concrete based acclimation pen was made.

Curators Tom, Greg, and Seth spent the day building wooden forms for the concrete pads of the new acclimations pens. Before the concrete can be poured, approximately 5 tons of gravel must be transported to and hand leveled in each concrete form. This gravel layer will provide a more rigid and solid base for the concrete to set into. Lots of rock work to keep us busy in the days to come.

Thank you to everyone who has donated and support to the Cubs Forever Campaign. If you have not yet contributed to the cause, please consider doing so at the link below. This campaign is to fund the construction of new enclosures and funding the steps we must take in order to once again admit bears to our facility.
https://appalachianbearrescue.org/cubs-forever-campaign/

09/29/2025

ABR Daily Update-September 29, 2025-Skinny Bear Week?🐻😞

Weather: 80F (27C) Humidity 56%, Cloudy ☁️

Yesterday we shared a live camera feed from Brooks Falls in Alaska, where some of the largest brown bears on earth are chowing down to prepare for the imminent winter months ahead. Today we are sharing a post from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources that made us giggle and sure reminded everyone that without these majestic salmon, Fat Bear Week would look a lot different.

20,000 calories is often a number that gets thrown around when discussing wild bears increasing their daily caloric intake during hyperphagia. If you thought that was impressive, just wait until you hear how many calories there are in salmon!

One sockeye salmon contains roughly 4,000 calories and as many of you saw on the cameras yesterday, these Alaskan brown bears are eating MANY of them. Some bears have even been observed eating 30-40 salmon a day. This puts their daily caloric intake much higher than 20,000 calories. Some estimate that healthy, adult male brown bears can consume up to 160,000 calories in one single day! Impressive all around and hey, make sure to thank a salmon today. 😉🐟

👀 Oh, it’s again? Cute. Meanwhile, salmon would like to remind you that without them, it’d just be Sad Skinny Bear Week™.

That’s right, those fluffy icons of the internet? Basically freeloaders dining on the all-you-can-eat salmon buffet. Bears get the spotlight, salmon get…eaten. Constantly. And people celebrate it!?!?!?!

And yet, salmon still show up every season to do literally everything:�
🌲 Fertilize forests with their bodies.�
🐋 Feed orcas and other important species.�
💧 Power healthy watersheds.�
🌿 Kick back in eelgrass + kelp nurseries.

And this is why we work so hard to ensure they have healthy waterways, eelgrass meadows, watersheds, and forests to call “home”. So yeah, bears get the glory—but salmon are the keystone species carrying the entire ecosystem on their slippery little backs.

This year, skip the bear hype and help us celebrate the real MVPs in our Skinny Bear Week Salmon Bracket. Cast your vote, honor the fish, and remember: no salmon = no fat bears. Keep an eye on our stories for updates as we see who is crowned the winner.

09/28/2025

ABR Daily Update-September 28, 2025-Fat Bear Week🐻🐟

Weather: 79F (26C) Humidity 60%, Partly Cloudy⛅️

Thank you to everyone who registered for ABR’s Bearly 5K Run/Walk! Registration is now closed. We are so excited to welcome you to our Visitor and Education Center in Townsend on October 25th. If you can’t join us in-person, please make sure to still send us a picture of you walking for the bears in your Bearly 5K shirt!

There are two days remaining in the annual Fat Bear Week competition hosted by Katmai National Park in Alaska. Have you been participating? If so, tell us who you have winning in the comments below! We miss watching bears on the ABR facility cameras as much as you all do. So today, we are sharing the Brooks Falls live camera feed where you can get your bear fix and if you’re lucky, catch a glimpse of the remaining four large contestants. Good luck to bears 856, 128, 602 and 32!!

**Chat rolls are on 7am - 5 pm PT from Monday through Sunday.Brooks Falls is on solar power and will be live whenever we have enough sun. Brooks Falls in Ala...

09/27/2025

ABR Daily Update-September 27,2025-One last PUSH🐻🏃‍♀️🎃

Weather: 77°F (25°C) Humidity 64%, Cloudy🌥

One last PUSH for our Bearly 5K Run/Walk event taking place on Saturday, October 25th. You have until tomorrow, Sunday, September 28th at noon eastern to register!! We are still accepting general participant registration, sponsorships and dog registration. We must order everyone’s 5K shirts no later than Monday morning to ensure you’ll get them on time for race day next month.

Appalachian Bear Rescue began hosting the Bearly 5K Run/Walk in 2016. This year will be our 10th annual, and we are looking forward to another great turnout! You don’t even have to be with us in Townsend to participate - each year we welcome friends from around the country to walk or run “with us” on the last Saturday of October in support of young bear cubs in need of a second chance.

This year, the Bearly 5K shirts were designed by our curator team and will surely make a great addition to your past race day shirt line-up. Thank you for your support. ☺️

To register for the Bearly 5K: https://appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/2025-bearly-5k-run-walk-registration

To sponsor the Bearly 5K event: https://appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/bearly5k-sponsorship-2025

09/26/2025

ABR Daily Update-September 26, 2025-Cubs Forever Campaign Update🐻❤

Weather: 77°F (25°C) Humidity 66%, Cloudy ☁️

Happy Friday!! We have some good news to share with you all as we enter into the weekend ahead. As of this morning, we have raised 68% of our total Cubs Forever Campaign goal!! This brings the current total to $464,416.67. Time and time again you continue to show up for us and the work that we do for orphaned, injured and ill bear cubs. Next week we enter into campaign week #10 and we would not be where we are without each and every one of YOU! Thank you will never be enough - but maybe the day that we are able to return Bear #427 back into the wild will come close. ❤ Thank you.

09/25/2025

September 25th, 2025: The end is near….the end of being able to register for the 10 Annual Bearly 5k!

Weather: 80°F (26°C) Humidity 70%, Partly Sunny 🌥

Sorry for the shock!

Registration for the 10th Annual Bearly 5k Walk/Run will close THIS Sunday, September 28th at NOON eastern. Join us either in person or virtually for this fundraiser to support future bear rehabilitation and current facility renovations! If you have a four legged best friend, register them as well! Registration includes a 10th Annual Bearly 5K shirt, and pet registrations include a Bearly 5k bandana!

Hopefully we see lots of you there, and see if anyone can match the speed that Twinkle, Daisy Mae, Duke, and Phoenix bears showcased at their releases!

Registration can be found at the link below:
https://appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/cubs-forever-tee-copy

09/24/2025

ABR Daily Update-September 24,2025-Townsend Fall Heritage & Bluegrass Fest 🐻

Weather: 79°F (26°C) Humidity 66%, Cloudy ☁️

Our staff has been busy preparing for this weekend’s Townsend Fall Heritage & Bluegrass Festival. If you are in the area, be sure to stop by our booth to talk to our curators and volunteers. Maybe even check out some of the available ABR merchandise that we will have with us. We look forward to listening to some good music and chatting with good friends! 🐻🍂🎶

Thank you to everyone who has continued to support our efforts to welcome bear cubs back to the ABR facility. We will have a campaign update for you on Friday. ❤️

🎻 The fiddle has a way of telling stories no words ever could. At the Townsend Fall Heritage & Bluegrass Festival, you’ll hear the songs of Appalachia played with heart, history, and soul. 🍂✨

📅 September 26–27, 2025
🎟 Free admission | 🚗 $10 onsite parking

💬 What’s your favorite instrument to hear in a Bluegrass band—fiddle, banjo, mandolin, or bass?

09/23/2025

September 23, 2025: It’s Finally Fall, Ya'll!

Weather: 73F (23C), Humidity 74%, Light Rain

Yesterday was the kickoff one of the very best times of the year…especially if you are a bear. We discussed before about hyperphagia (a period of intense hunger and feeding) and how that impacts the bear’s activities and behaviors. We have officially entered the bear bulking season. As temperatures start to cool off, the feeding activities pick up. Can you imagine your only job being to gain as much weight as fast as possible? We at ABR are envious of this to an extreme degree. While staff continue with their strict workouts and diets, the bears get to pig out.

Reports from surrounding areas have indicated an excellent mast year for this fall. With a projected abundance of acorns, pecans, walnuts, and other nuts, we are hopeful there will be plenty for the bears to snack on. That being said, bears will be more active and mobile going forward. If you see a bear doing its best Joey Chestnut impression, please give it ample space and peace.

As we still do not have bears onsite this fall, the usual donations of acorns, pecans, and peanuts are not necessary. To the folks who often see bears around their property, consider leaving the acorns and pecans on and around the tree for the bears to feed on. The bears and ABR surely thank you for that.

Thank you to everyone who has donated and support to the Cubs Forever Campaign. If you have not yet contributed to the cause, please consider doing so at the link below. This campaign is to fund the construction of new enclosures and funding the steps we must take in order to once again admit bears to our facility.
https://appalachianbearrescue.org/cubs-forever-campaign/

The Bearly 5k Walk/Run is fast coming up, and registration is still available!
https://appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/cubs-forever-tee-copy