Laura Leinaar, Animal Care specialists, gives guests a close-up look at the cubs.

WILLIAMS — Last Friday we got to visit Bearizona Wildlife Park (Facebook) in Williams Arizona to see the newest addition. Three bear cubs born around 7 weeks ago in January. The cubs are Klondike, Blue and Captain.

Laura Leinarr, Animal Care specialist at Bearizona, explained that they are separated from their mothers because male bears will attempt to kill the cubs in an attempt to make the mothers go into heat.

In the wild, mother bears can hide their cubs, but this is not an option at Bearizona. They are also very protective of their cubs in the wild. That is why you should use extreme caution if you encounter a cub or bear in the wild. Immediately begin to slowly back up the way you came until you are well clear.
Laura explained that they are currently being kept in the enclosure in the Mine Shaft so they can remain under constant observation to ensure their best chance of survival. While they are under constant observation by gleeful children, we think she meant professional observation.

The bear cubs will remain in the enclosure until about May. They will then be transferred to an enclosure near the new gift shop that is currently being constructed. If that is not finished, they will be located at the normal cub enclosure at the walk-through area.
Like any newborns, the cubs are still developing eyesight and learning to walk. Yet they have a highly developed sense of smell that they rely on to identify their mothers. In this case, they know Laura’s smell and get excited hoping that it is feeding time. If you get a chance to see the cubs around feeding time, Laura might even give you a close-up look.

Bearizona is a drive-through wildlife park and the animals ARE considered wild. Laura explained that it is extremely important to keep windows rolled up and doors locked while in the drive-through section. Bears are intelligent and if they smell something interesting in your vehicle, they can actually operate your door latch. That includes the latch to the back door in many SUVs.

If you do not enjoy the option of shooting pictures through window glass, you can opt to take the windowless bus. You can catch the bus at the entrance to the walk-through area.