Four rescued bear cubs are debuting together at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo.

Three brown bear cubs, siblings from Baranof Island, Alaska, can be seen now with the two year old grizzly from Glacier National Park in Montana. The four youngsters get along very well and enjoy playing together in the pools and on the rocky outcroppings in their new home.

All four bears came to WCS’s Bronx Zoo after being orphaned when their mothers were killed. The cubs would not have been able to survive alone in the wild as youngsters.


Of the Alaskan bears, Kootz is the largest male and his name means “brown bear” in the Tlinget language. His smaller brother is named Denali after the national park in Alaska, and the female is named Sitka after the fishing town in which they lived for a month after their rescue. Glacier, the bear from Montana, is a year older than his Alaskan companions and is named for Glacier National Park where he was born.

Visitors can see these four youngsters on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays in the Big Bears habitat.

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s North America program strives to create better relations between humans and bears by educating people about keeping food away from bears and making land use decisions that will minimize their interactions. Reducing conflict requires teaching people how to avoid attracting bears and managing bear populations through monitoring and using non-lethal deterrents.


The Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Adult admission is $15, children (3-12 years old) $11, children under 3 are free, seniors (65+) are $13. Parking is $13 for cars and $16 for buses. The Bronx Zoo is conveniently located off the Bronx River Parkway at Exit 6; by train via the #2 or #5 or by bus via the #9, #12, #19, #22, MetroNorth, or BxM11 Express Bus service (from Manhattan that stops just outside the gate.) To plan your trip, visit www.bronxzoo.com.

The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world's largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony.  WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth.