Three young grizzlies were orphaned after their mother was euthanized after killing a man and injuring two others while camping in Montana this past July. But they have since been released into their 2-acre enclosure at ZooMontana.
While there was initially some speculation that the cubs would be euthanized like their mother, Chris Servheen with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who authorized the bears’ removal from the wild said the bears’ previous behavior was “irrelevant” in a zoo setting.
A witness to the attack also agreed that the animals “deserved a chance.”
Dolly, Loulou and Koda are busy exploring their new surroundings and are still quick to scatter when startled by human footsteps crunching through the icy snow.
Krystal Whetham, the senior keeper at ZooMontana in charge of the bears who is helping them adapt to zoo life, says:
“They need to get used to it; we don’t want them to go out there and have this terrible experience.”
We hope people can forgive the siblings of their past crimes and let them move on and find happiness in their new home.
[Image via AP Images.]
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