Two 6-Year Old American Black Bears Find a New Home at NW Trek Wildlife Park

It’s a return to the Northwest for the bears, male and female siblings, who’ve been living at Topeka Zoo

EATONVILLE, Wash. – There are two new American black bears in town. They’re frisky. They love fish and berries. And one likes to climb trees while the other seems content to stand against their trunks and scratch his back.

The 6-year-old siblings, a male and female, arrived at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park Tuesday evening from Topeka Zoo, where they’ve lived since they were cubs.

Following a settling-in period, the pair will move into their approximately one-acre exhibit, which features a 7-foot deep pool.

“We’re delighted to bring these black bears to Northwest Trek, where they’ll be at home in this lush, forested space,” zoological curator Heidi Hellmuth said.

They will bring to four the number of bears at the wildlife park near Eatonville. Northwest Trek also has two grizzly bears.

“These are the only American black bears in an Association of Zoos & Aquariums accredited zoo in Washington state,” Northwest Trek deputy director Donna Powell said. “We’re pleased that our visitors will be able to view them in a forested exhibit typical of black bears’ native habitat.”

Conservation education is at the core of Northwest Trek’s mission, and the wildlife park’s newest residents also will help zookeepers and naturalists inform the public about black bears, which are native to much of the United States and Canada.

The brother and sister were orphaned as cubs in Oregon and have lived at Topeka Zoo for most of their lives.

They’ve been visitor favorites, with the female often running up to a 10-foot-high tree stump, leaping onto it and sitting atop, Topeka zookeeper Jamie Petrie said.

Her brother, meanwhile, was more inclined to spend the summer in his water pool, “just hanging out and swimming around in there,” Petrie added. “He also loves to stand up tall, rub up against trees and scratch his back.”

Both bears eagerly eat fish and berries and “absolutely love peanut butter,” Petrie said.

They are trained to participate in their care.

“They’re very fun and active bears,” Petrie said. “I think they’re absolutely going to love their new home at Northwest Trek.”