6 things you didn't know about Reid Park Zoo's grizzly bears
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Ronan (the male) and Finley (the female) grizzly bears joined the Reid Park Zoo family in 2013.
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Ronan and Finley are brother and sister. They were born on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Northwestern Montana, according to the Reid Park Zoo website.
Naturally, that means the zoo will never breed the two animals, but no zoo accredited by the Associated of Zoos and Aquariums would breed brown or black bears anyway, according to area supervisor Leslie Waters.
Thats because so many orphaned bears are already in the wild, she said.
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Because Ronan and Finley were born in the wild, they had no concept of their surroundings when they were transported to Reid Park.
Zoo animals are more often than not born in captivity, Waters said.
"They had no idea what was going on," Waters said. "They didn't know what a door was or that a bucket of food was going to come for lunch and dinner every day. They ate with wild abandon. Everything was worrisome to them."
Waters said they were quick to catch on to their daily routines.
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It is not uncommon for zookeepers to hide or even bury the food meant for the grizzly bears.
"One of the things that bears in the wild do most of the day is look for food," Waters said. "We do the best we can to give them the same opportunity here. We'll dig big holes and throw things in, smear things, hang things."
Zookeepers learned early on what each bear preferred to eat, according to the Reid Park Zoo blog page.
Ronan enjoyed dog food. Finley likes frozen treats.
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Ronan and Finley share a close relationship, according to a video posted to the Reid Park Zoo YouTube channel shortly after their arrival to Tucson.
While Ronan is more curious about the world around him, Finley is more cautious and reserved.
The video points out that, in the beginning at least, Finley stuck very close to her brother, but eventually learned to go out on her own.
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When the bear siblings arrived to Reid Park Zoo, Ronan weighed in at about 250 pounds. Finley weighed 200 pounds.
The average male grizzly bear can grow to weigh anywhere from 600-900 pounds.
Grizzlies often have long, 4-inch long claws that help them dig and slash prey, according to the Reid Park Zoo website.
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The exhibit that Ronan and Finley call home was once the enclosure inhabited by the zoo's polar bear, Snow.
When Snow died of a heart ailment in 2012, zoo officials opted not to seek out another due to the lack of polar bears in captivity.
The zoo chose instead to take in grizzlies because so many orphans can be found in the wild.
- Updated
This big boy is probably older than you and definitely weighs more. Catch him next week as part of the Nandi's Neighbors series.
Ronan and Finley are brother and sister. They were born on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Northwestern Montana, according to the Reid Park Zoo website.
Naturally, that means the zoo will never breed the two animals, but no zoo accredited by the Associated of Zoos and Aquariums would breed brown or black bears anyway, according to area supervisor Leslie Waters.
Thats because so many orphaned bears are already in the wild, she said.
Because Ronan and Finley were born in the wild, they had no concept of their surroundings when they were transported to Reid Park.
Zoo animals are more often than not born in captivity, Waters said.
"They had no idea what was going on," Waters said. "They didn't know what a door was or that a bucket of food was going to come for lunch and dinner every day. They ate with wild abandon. Everything was worrisome to them."
Waters said they were quick to catch on to their daily routines.
It is not uncommon for zookeepers to hide or even bury the food meant for the grizzly bears.
"One of the things that bears in the wild do most of the day is look for food," Waters said. "We do the best we can to give them the same opportunity here. We'll dig big holes and throw things in, smear things, hang things."
Zookeepers learned early on what each bear preferred to eat, according to the Reid Park Zoo blog page.
Ronan enjoyed dog food. Finley likes frozen treats.
Ronan and Finley share a close relationship, according to a video posted to the Reid Park Zoo YouTube channel shortly after their arrival to Tucson.
While Ronan is more curious about the world around him, Finley is more cautious and reserved.
The video points out that, in the beginning at least, Finley stuck very close to her brother, but eventually learned to go out on her own.
When the bear siblings arrived to Reid Park Zoo, Ronan weighed in at about 250 pounds. Finley weighed 200 pounds.
The average male grizzly bear can grow to weigh anywhere from 600-900 pounds.
Grizzlies often have long, 4-inch long claws that help them dig and slash prey, according to the Reid Park Zoo website.
The exhibit that Ronan and Finley call home was once the enclosure inhabited by the zoo's polar bear, Snow.
When Snow died of a heart ailment in 2012, zoo officials opted not to seek out another due to the lack of polar bears in captivity.
The zoo chose instead to take in grizzlies because so many orphans can be found in the wild.
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