Written by Erika Furnes and Jenna Schmidt, Rocky Mountain Wild senior animal keepers
As senior keepers in Rocky Mountain Wild and Asian Highlands habitats, we have the privilege of taking care of some extraordinary animals that serve as ambassadors for their species. From energetic otters to orphaned moose to endangered leopards, there’s no shortage of unique individuals in our areas. In June 2026, we got the rare opportunity to welcome two adorable grizzly bear cubs to CMZoo, and it’s been a whirlwind of a month getting to know them!
These two cuties wasted no time in showing their individual behaviors. Because we are waiting to learn more about them before they are named, we use physical traits to help differentiate them. Juvenile grizzly bears have white patches of fur around their necks that look like collars, so until they mature, this is the easiest way to tell them apart. The slightly smaller female cub with the brighter ring of white is bold, silly and full of confidence. This cub is quick to assert its spot in training sessions and even quicker to decide training is all done and it’s time to play. The slightly bigger male cub with less of a collar is gentle, relaxed, and attentive. They’re both curious and smart. They’re growing quickly and developing their coordination skills. Much of play time involves practicing skills like climbing stumps, balancing on logs, digging through mulch piles, splashing in the pool, and wrestling.
Nearly every animal at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo participates in training, from health care behaviors to natural behaviors, and the cubs are no exception. Shortly after they settled into their quarantine space, we started working alongside our quarantine team to begin a formal training program with these sweet fuzzballs. Relationship building is always the first step.
To establish a trusting, foundational relationship, we sat near the fencing, offering savory treats until they were approaching us readily and, finally, comfortably sitting across from us at the mesh. The cubs chose their own trainers in a highly scientific way – during the first session, whichever cub approached each of us first became the cub we would work with moving forward. The gentler and slightly larger “no collar” male cub picked Erika, and the smaller, bolder female cub picked Jenna.
After that, we started training. Both cubs are learning to participate in their own health care by lining up against the mesh for injections and allowing a shift door to close between them so they can be temporarily separated for medications or food. The cubs get our undivided attention in two training sessions every day (in between their busy schedules of playing, napping, climbing, and eating).
Despite our intentions of coming in twice a day to train, we’re on baby bear time, which is often full of whims and sidequests. One of the most endearing and enjoyable aspects of working with them so far is watching them explore the world. The training session might be going flawlessly right up until they realize it’s been a few minutes since they’ve interrupted each other’s session, played with a piece of straw, or discovered their own back feet as toys again. While we use some of their favorite snacks, meat, and dollops of honey to keep their interest, we’ve got no chance against the joy of sneaking up on your sibling to see if you can swipe some of their snacks.
These sweet faces are going to call Cheyenne Mountain Zoo home for the rest of their lives, so there are endless experiences to look forward to with them as they continue to settle in and grow. The milestones are going to fly by, but one we are looking forward to the most is getting to introduce them to the Rocky Mountain Wild grizzly bear habitat. We’re excited for them to get access to all the opportunities our grizzly bear habitat has to offer – swimming in the pool, digging in the mud and mulch piles, napping in the pine straw beds, conquering enrichment, and interacting with guests! We anticipate their playful natures will flourish even more once they’re settled into the new spaces.
Bears are some of our favorite animals to work with – between the two of us, we have almost two decades of bear experience. Bears this young are a new adventure for us, and it feels like the privilege of a career to be able to give these cubs a safe home and help transition them into the rest of their lives. They’ve become an exciting new addition to our team – we enjoy spending time with them, caring for them, and learning about their unique behaviors. We can’t wait to share them with you – we doubt anyone will be able to resist falling in love with them, just like we have!
For grizzly bear cub updates, stay tuned on social media and at cmzoo.org/bearcubs!
