Oregon Zoo's black bear cubs reaching new heights

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Two black bear cubs at the Oregon Zoo are learning to do what bears do best: climb.

The cubs - named Timber and Thorn after their native habitat and Portland's major league soccer teams - are reaching heights as high as 50 feet in the fir trees in their Great Northwest habitat.

Jen Osburn Eliot, who oversees the zoo’s Great Northwest area, said the likely incentive is some delicious growth near the top of the canopy.

“It’s pretty amazing to see them climb so high,” she said. “Visitors have told us they could see the bears before they even entered the zoo!”

Found wandering in the Alaska wilderness and deemed too young to survive on their own, the cubs were rescued and taken to the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage for care before arriving in Portland in December. Osburn Eliot emphasized how proud she and the care staff are of the cubs' growth.

“Black bears are known for their climbing ability,” she added. “It’s wonderful to see Timber and Thorn growing into such confident bears.”

Eventually the cubs will get to know the zoo’s adult black bears, Cubby and Dale. But for the time being, they’re taking turns in the habitat.

Osburn Eliot says zoo visitors hoping to see the cubs in action can start by looking up in the trees. Plus, if you want to know which cub is which, she adds there's a unique way to tell the difference.

“Both cubs like to climb, but Thorn is the bolder of the two,” she said. “If you see one bear up higher than the other, that’s probably him.”