Cheyenne Mountain Zoo welcomes orphaned grizzly cubs

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Two orphaned grizzly bear cubs are settling into their new home at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CMZoo) after arriving from Montana earlier this month.

CMZoo says they are the youngest grizzly cubs the zoo has cared for in decades and the first orphaned grizzlies to arrive in more than 20 years.

When they arrived, the cubs weighed about 30 pounds each. Zoo staff say they have been eating, drinking, playing and growing quickly while adjusting to life behind the scenes.

The zoo says that the cubs' mother was euthanized after a long history of conflicts with humans, including a recent livestock attack in Montana. Because the cubs cannot survive on their own in the wild, wildlife officials worked with CMZoo to give them a permanent home.

For now, the bears remain in quarantine while they receive veterinary exams and vaccinations. They are not yet visible to the public, and zoo officials say it will likely be several more weeks before guests can see them.

The cubs will eventually live in the Rocky Mountain Wild area but will be kept separate from the zoo's adult grizzly bears, Emmett and Digger, who were also rescued after conflicts in the wild.

Zoo staff hope the cubs will help teach visitors about living safely alongside wildlife and the importance of keeping wild animals wild.

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