Zoo Helps Grizzly Cubs Recover from Loss of Mother

The are facing challenges as they recover from the trauma of their mother being killed and settle in to their new home.

The orphaned 11-month-old grizzly cub brothers that – Mike, Thor and Boo – are showing behavior that is likely related to suddenly and violently losing their mother before they were weaned, the zoo said in a release.

“While physically in good condition, two of the cubs engage in a muzzle-to-muzzle stereotypic sucking behavior commonly seen in animals that have been prematurely weaned. Though they appear to be ‘kissing’, they are actually ‘suckling’ each other’s tongue, and this abnormal behavior could cause problems and injury if it persists,” said Scott Carter, Detroit Zoological Society Chief Life Sciences Officer. 

The zoo's staff is working to eliminate the behavior and is providing a calm, safe quarantine environment for the cubs with enrichment toys and other objects. The cubs will remain in quarantine at the zoo at least until the end of the month. 

“This situation underscores that, beyond the obvious trauma associated with the loss of a parent and being orphaned, taking a young animal away from its mother prematurely leads to serious consequences, including compromising the animal’s ability to socialize," Ron Kagan, CEO of the Detroit Zoological Society, said in the release.

"This is a problem for any juvenile, including pets, domestic animals, wild animals and even captive exotics.”