Common Question
Bear FAQ's
1. What is the bear's name?2. How old is she?
3. Where is she from?
4. What does she eat?
5. How much does she weigh?
6. Is Texas too hot for her?
7. Does she hibernate?
8. Does she still have claws?
9. How long are you going to keep her?
Bear FAQ's
1. What is the bear's name?
Judge Sue Sloan "Lady"
2. How old is she?
Lady was born on January 31, 2002.
3. Where is she from?
Lady came from the West Coast Game Park in Bandon, Oregon. She came to us in June of 2002 when she was four months old.
4. What does she eat?
Lady eats two meals a day consisting of a specially formulated omnivore diet and raw protein sources like fish, supplemented with fruits such as oranges, grapefruit, coconut, apples, and peaches in the morning and vegetables such as lettuce, carrots, sweet potatoes, and avocados in the evening.
5. How much does she weigh?
While her weight does fluctuate during the year, she is full grown and typically weighs between 250 - 290 pounds.
6. Is Texas too hot for her?
The American Black Bear is found in the wild in 42 of the 50 states, from Alaska to Florida, and even in Mexico. Black bears are also found naturally in Texas. Bears can adapt extremely well to their environment which allows them to live in many different parts of the country. We do realize that it does get hot during the days, which is why we work hard to make sure that they have shade and running water in their enclosures to cool them off.
7. Does she hibernate?
No; hibernation is caused by a drop in food supply. Since she receives a constant supply of food, she has no reason to go into hibernation. However, during the winter months she does slow down, sleep more, and eat less.
8. Does she still have claws?
Yes; however, black bears do not use their claws to attack. Instead they use them to dig and climb trees. We feel that it is in the best long term interest of the bear to keep her claws.
9. How long are you going to keep her?
We plan on caring for Lady for the remainder of her natural life. In the wild, black bears live between 15-18 years; in long-term protected care they can live as long as 22 to 25 years. The longer life expectancy in long-term protected care is due to the better diet and quality veterinary care that the bears receive.