The new year is already off to a thrilling start! Last week, we released 15 rehabilitated Florida black bear cubs back to their natural habitat after months of care at East Coast Zoological Foundation’s (ECZF) Black Bear Rehabilitation Center at Brevard Zoo. Nonprofit ECZF leads the Brevard Zoo and upcoming Bowen Aquarium campuses, making strides in wildlife conservation efforts like our bear rehabilitation.  

Since the opening of our Black Bear Rehabilitation Center in May of last year, we’ve been able to care for more sick, injured or orphaned bear cubs than ever! Often found alone without a mother to show them natural bear behaviors and survival skills, these bears needed a safe place to land for medical attention, rehabilitation and nourishment.  

The cubs were brought to us by bear biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). After the cubs were treated for any wounds, infections or ailments, they slowly shifted into our Rehabilitation Center, a space for them to play, socialize with one another and practice normal bear behaviors like foraging, climbing, swimming and more.  

Each cub was released in areas across Florida that are sparsely populated with both humans and other bears to help them adjust to their natural range once again. We released siblings and bonded bears together in hopes they find comfort in each other’s company out in the big world. 

Here’s a brief recap on each of the 17 cubs we took in and released: 

• Jerry Donuts was the first cub we welcomed to our Center. For a yearling cub, Jerry Donuts was severely underweight. But after adequate nutrition and care, his weight skyrocketed to a normal weight. Because Jerry Donuts was quite older compared to our other bear patients, he was privately released back to his natural range early. 

• Morty arrived at only 6 pounds, underweight and laden with ticks. In his earlier months, he was known to be playful and rambunctious! 

• Rickie is the smallest of our cub crew, coming to our Zoo at only 2.5 pounds. She steadily gained weight over her time with us.  

• It’s likely that Frosty was sadly struck by a car before arriving at our Zoo. Fortunately, she sustained minor injuries and quickly healed under our care. She’s known for her blonde facial markings—hence her name! 

• Fern and Branch are a brother-sister duo who were found without their mother, who passed away after being struck by a car. These cubs were, luckily, in stable condition and quickly joined the other cub patients in our Center. 

• Jordan is another yearling cub who was released last year because of her older age. She arrived underweight, covered in ticks and suffering from a wound to her foot. After veterinary treatment at our L3 Harris Animal Care Center, she was healed in no time for her release! 

• Berry arrived in fair condition; His only concern was a bot fly that made its way into his fur. Luckily, we caught the bot fly just in time to remove it.  

• Jon Bear was our most transformative patient by a landslide. He came to us emaciated and sick, having to spend several months at our hospital for extensive treatment. This yearling has come a long way, but thanks to his resilient nature and our around-the-clock veterinary care, Jon Bear made a full recovery. 

• Siblings Curly, Mo and Larry tragically lost their mom after she was struck by a car. Named after The Three Stooges, this playful bunch certainly lived up to their name.  

• Known for his white markings on his chest, Blaze was one of the most identifiable bears of the bunch. Other than internal parasites which were swiftly removed, Blaze arrived in good health. 

• Banana and Squash also arrived in fair condition, but still, they needed proper nutrition and socialization in the absence of a mother. 

• Finally, Luke and Leia are a brother and sister pair who, again, just needed some enrichment and socialization to teach them typical bear behaviors for survival.  

Phew! Can you believe how many cubs we’ve treated? We’re incredibly thankful to support the Florida black bear population and give these little ones another chance at leading a happy, healthy life. 

“It was an amazing feeling to see the bears released into their native range, particularly Rickie, who was such a tiny fragile cub when she arrived, and Jon Bear, who overcame extreme odds,” said Director of Animal Programs Lauren Hinson. “I will miss watching them grow and play, but the reward of seeing them released makes it all worth it.” 

Now that the cubs are released, things are looking a little bare in our Black Bear Rehabilitation Center. Bear cubs are typically born in January or February, so it may be a little while until we see another patient. Nevertheless, there’s still lots to be done around here! Bears are quite destructive, so our bear team plans to completely reset our Rehabilitation Center in preparation for the year ahead. 

Thank you to Pat McMahon and Bob Mansbart for their generous donations toward the building of our Black Bear Rehabilitation Center, affectionately known as Brody Bear’s Rescue and Rehab.  

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We would like to thank the following generous donors for supporting our mission-based programs:
Flammio Financial Group · Stifel- Garvin Wealth Management Group · Artemis IT · Pepsi Bottling Company · Amazon · PCL Construction | Nassal | MEC | Heard