SALISBURY — The Salisbury Zoo announced today its bear cub will be leaving for a permanent relocation to San Diego in the near future.
The statement read:
“You may have noticed that we have separated our bear cub, Alba, from her mother, Chaska. This was done because both mom and cub have shown through their behaviors that it is time for Alba to “leave the nest.” In the wild at around 1 year of age a cub will leave its mother and venture out into the forest ready to start a new life, perhaps with offspring of its owns someday. Andean bears, like most bears, naturally are solitary animals. They rarely come in contact with other bears unless they are seeking a mate. Our bears are just exhibiting expected and normal behaviors and we must honor their instincts.
“We at the Salisbury Zoo are both sad and happy as we prepare for Alba’s departure. Our keepers have worked very hard to provide both Mom and Cub with a stimulating and supportive environment. Their success is marked by the fact that our bears are acting like bears. It has been a great year sharing this baby bear’s birth and growth with you, our visitors. We want to thank you for being involved in her life, for the support the community has given to the Salisbury Zoo, and for understanding these next chapters in Alba’s life.
“Alba will be sent to the San Diego Zoo where eventually she will be paired with another Andean bear, Turbo. With only 20,000 Andean bears estimated to be left in the wild these bears are classified as vulnerable by the ICUN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Our collaboration with other institutions is important to conservation and gives hope for the future of the species.
“We are working with the AZA and its SSP (Species Survival Plan) program to identify a suitable mate for Chaska. We intend to continue this successful program and hope that you will continue to follow the Salisbury Zoo and our “bury Bear Project.”