August 28, 2026 – ABR Bear #432 Arrives
Early Thursday morning, an officer from the Gatlinburg Police Department picked up a cub that was suspected to have been hit by a vehicle off of Highway 321 in Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cosby, Tennessee. Initially, when the officer picked the cub up to put it in a crate, it was breathing but unconscious. While things did not look great for this cub, the officer had hope that this little bear could still be helped. After a short while, the cub began to stir and even tried to stand up a few times. The cub was handed off to NPS Park Ranger Ryan Williamson who quickly brought it to the University of Tennessee to be examined by the Wildlife Veterinarians.
Dr. Cushing and his vet team performed a full examination of the bear under anesthesia and decided that they would keep him overnight for observation due to his weakened state and signs of concussion. While little bears are tough and resilient animals, head injuries are always complicated. Even if it seems like their condition is improving, sometimes the situation changes very quickly. Overnight, he received plenty of fluids and some pain medication along with crossed fingers for improvement.
POPLAR: ONE RESILIENT BEAR CUB
Early this morning, Curator Seth received a call from Ranger Ryan that the vets felt that the cub was steadily improving. They determined it was ok for someone from ABR to pick up the bear from UT and bring it back to the facility for rest and recovery. Once Seth arrived at UT, he worked with the vets to get ear tags and a micro chip into the little bear. This was quite the task because the vets did not want to put the cub under anesthesia again due to its fragile condition. The bear also weighed in at a healthy 25 pounds which certainly added to the excitement of the cub wrangling. With many strong raptor-gloved hands and only a few bites out of distaste (from the bear), the cub was microchipped and successfully given one blue ear tag in his right ear. After a second failed attempt, it was decided that it was not worth the stress to the cub to get the other ear tag in (which was also going to be blue). Lucky for curators, he is the only current cub in residence with a chest blaze so he won’t be hard to identify anyway!
Once the cub arrived at ABR, he was placed in room #3 in Hartley House where he will be closely monitored over the next few weeks. During his stay, he will be served the house special of cub cereal (Bear Diet Pellets and Formula), plenty of fruit, and perhaps even some pumpkin puree (lucky bear!). While this little bear is not out of the woods yet, we are hopeful that his condition continues to improve each day. We are happy to report that despite being a bit wobbly on his paws, he has a great appetite. The very first thing he did when he went into his room in Hartley House was walk over to the bowl full of formula and scarf it down before moving on to his bowl of fruit! Another member has been initiated into the clean bowl club. At the current moment, he is napping peacefully next to Not A Polar Bear.
HELP ABR’s CUBS: ADOPT POPLAR
This cub will continue to receive lots of nutritious food along with plenty of peace and quiet to support his recovery. The vets have given him a good prognosis and we have seen many ABR cubs in the past fully recover from similar head injuries. Even if things did end up taking a turn downhill over the next few days, we are grateful for the chance to give this cub a second chance! As we have seen time and time again, bear cubs are incredibly resilient and this one certainly has a fighting chance.
Please welcome Poplar Bear – named after the official state tree of Tennessee which grows at fast rates into big, strong trees.
Poplar Bear’s story is also an important reminder to us humans about how busy roads and heavy traffic greatly impact the safety of local wildlife! While we strongly believe that no one ever purposely hits a bear (or any wildlife) with their vehicle, this is a good reminder to us all to pay attention while driving and slow down our speeds, especially in bear country!
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Just like Hemlock, each cub is a little over six months old. All four appear healthy and their mother was probably doing a fine job, but it is normal for a large litter to have some significant weight variation when all of the siblings are competing for the same milk supply. Not to worry, though, as we’ll catch Redbud and Quince up to their siblings soon enough.
Appalachian Bear Rescue Grows from 1 to 5 Cubs Overnight
‘She is one strong, feisty and healthy young lady’
Support These Cubs By Donating Today
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]]>TOWNSEND, Tenn. (July 29, 2026) — Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR) has admitted its first rescued black bear cub in a year and a half, marking a significant milestone in the organization’s return to rehabilitating orphaned and injured black bears in Tennessee.
The male cub, now known as Hemlock (ABR Bear #0427), arrived at Appalachian Bear Rescue on July 28, 2026, after being rescued by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) Wildlife Officer David Sexton. Full medical examination and minor procedures followed at University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM).
The cub had reportedly been seen alone behind a Gatlinburg residence for approximately two weeks before rescue. The circumstances of the mother bear’s absence remain unknown.
When rescued, Hemlock weighed 3.5 kilograms (7.5 pounds)—less than half the average weight of a healthy black bear cub in late July, which is approximately 9 kilograms (20 pounds).
The name Hemlock was chosen after the native eastern hemlock tree—a species that symbolizes resilience and strength despite facing tremendous challenges throughout the Southern Appalachian Mountains.
‘Welcoming Hemlock Bear into our care is a testament to the resilience of our staff, board members, volunteers, and supporters’
“It has been just over a year and a half since bears were last housed at the ABR facility. Welcoming Hemlock Bear into our care is a testament to the resilience of our staff, board members, volunteers, and supporters,” said Greg Grieco, Executive Director, ABR. “It’s a reminder that when government agencies, universities, nonprofit organizations, and our local community all work together we can accomplish great things. Hemlock is the 427th bear to be admitted into our care, and we are equally honored as we are humbled to share and celebrate this special moment with all of our supporters, without whom this would not be possible.”
Hemlock is currently being cared for inside ABR’s Hartley House, where he will remain indoors while receiving medical care and nutritional support. As he regains strength, he will have access to two indoor rehabilitation rooms and an outdoor acclimation pen. Eventually, he will move to a large outdoor enclosure designed to prepare bears for a successful return to the wild.
Following established rehabilitation protocols, Hemlock has begun standard deworming treatments and is receiving recommended medical care under the guidance of UTCVM, ABR’s trusted veterinary partners for over thirty years.
Because the cub arrived severely underweight, his diet is being introduced gradually through carefully managed refeeding protocols. He is currently receiving diluted milk replacer formula before slowly transitioning to small quantities of solid foods, including fruit, nuts, and ABR’s standard black bear diet as his condition improves.
Hemlock’s arrival also represents an important operational milestone for Appalachian Bear Rescue. Caring for orphaned black bear cubs requires around-the-clock staffing, specialized veterinary care, dedicated rehabilitation facilities, and ongoing maintenance to ensure each bear has the best possible opportunity to return to the wild.
Support Appalachian Bear Rescue by Symbolic Adoption of Hemlock Today
Supporters who would like to follow Hemlock’s progress can now symbolically adopt him through Appalachian Bear Rescue’s website by clicking here – and follow along on social media (Facebook and Instagram: Appalachian Bear Rescue).
All proceeds directly support the daily care, nutrition, medical treatment, and rehabilitation of bears like Hemlock while helping ensure Appalachian Bear Rescue remains prepared to care for future orphaned and injured black bears.
ABOUT ABR
Appalachian Bear Rescue is a specialized wildlife rehabilitation facility providing care for orphaned black bear cubs, having rehabilitated more than 400 black bear cubs over a 30-year history. In addition to rehabilitation, ABR contributes to public education, outreach, and scientific research that supports black bear rehabilitation.
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]]>NPR Environmental Reporter Caroline Eggers’ ongoing research highlights Appalachian Bear Rescue’s future.
The following is an excerpt from NPR’s latest coverage of Appalachian Bear Rescue by Caroline Eggers:
Black bear cubs orphaned in the wild may soon have a temporary home. The Appalachian Bear Rescue is a 30-year-old wildlife rehabilitation facility near Gatlinburg that just reopened after a lengthy closure.
In late 2024, the rescue stopped taking in bear cubs following a pneumonia outbreak. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, or TWRA, euthanized 13 cubs at the facility and halted the rescue’s intake, prompting broad public concern.
The two groups have since set up an agreement with new protocols, and the rescue raised more than $800,000 to build a new habitat enclosure and improve the existing facilities.
“Raising the amount of money we did and accomplishing this work in that period of time seemed insurmountable a year and a half ago,” said Greg Grieco, director of the Appalachian Bear Rescue.
As part of the updated rules, the rescue has a limit of three bears per half acre, unless cubs are part of a quadruplet litter. The facility will now only rehabilitate bears from Tennessee, unless they’re from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park or the Big South Fork National Recreation Area, which overlap with North Carolina and Kentucky, according to the agreement.
Ensuring black bear cub survival
Black bears usually birth cubs at less than half a pound in January and rear them for about 18 months, according to the National Park Service. But cubs in Tennessee lose their moms to car crashes, starvation, hunting or when TWRA euthanizes them after conflict with humans.
Rehabilitation supports individual animal welfare and can even serve as a tool for restoring bears to previously occupied habitats, according to a 2024 scientific review of rehab practices by the International Association for Bear Research and Management.
Many research efforts, including one centered on the Appalachian Bear Rescue, have found that rehabbed bears have survival rates similar to their wild counterparts and die of similar causes. Researchers are still investigating the conditions needed for the best survival rates, however.
“Survival can be affected by both age and body mass at release,” the review states, emphasizing that release age appeared to be the most important predictor of survival.
Bear rehab facilities across the U.S. and Canada tend to release bears at an average weight of more than 80 pounds and at an average of 14 and a half months old. The Appalachian Bear Rescue historically released cubs in late fall or winter and recorded successful survival rates.
By contrast, TWRA set a new target of releasing bears at an average of 40 pounds during the summer months, which means the bears would typically be at most about eight months old.
Grieco hopes to track survival rates moving forward to ensure the new protocols will still give rescued cubs the best chance at healthy lives in the wild.
“We’re going to try to confirm that for our concerned supporters and followers to make sure what we’re doing is working effectively,” Grieco said during a June press conference.
Click Here to read Eggers’ Full Story
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]]>On Thursday, June 18, 2026, Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR) & Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) publicly announced the green light to resume rehabilitation of injured and orphaned black bear cubs in TN.
Below is the joint press release from TWRA:
TWRA – ABR TO RESUME BLACK BEAR CUB REHABILITATION
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR) are announcing that ABR will resume rehabilitation of orphaned black bear cubs from Tennessee, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the Big South Fork National Recreation Area. Initially, ABR will have capacity to accept six black bear cubs in newly constructed pens at their facility in Townsend, TN. As the Agency responsible for management of wild bears in Tennessee, TWRA will continue to determine which cubs are viable candidates for rehabilitation at ABR.
Soil samples from the two new pens were analyzed for parasite loads by University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) staff, and pens were deemed to be safe for bears. Soil treatment and additional testing is planned to inform future decisions on the reopening of remaining pens.
Additionally, TWRA and ABR have committed to updated operating procedures that improve bear health while at the facility and reduce the likelihood of future disease risk.
The following measures will be implemented:
- Limiting the number of bears per enclosure — No more than six bears per acre (three per half-acre). Quadruplet litters may remain together in a half‑acre enclosure.
- Restricting out-of-state admissions — ABR will not rehabilitate bears from outside Tennessee, except for cubs from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park or Big South Fork National Recreation Area.
- Ending large-scale winter releases — Cubs will be released individually or in smaller groups upon reaching a target weight of approximately 40 pounds.
- Prioritizing certain admissions — Cubs orphaned due to abandonment or vehicle collisions may receive priority for intake.
- Enhanced sanitation and internal biosecurity measures — Additional internal protocols have been adopted to further protect cubs and staff.
“The ability to resume black bear rehabilitation with these new pens is the culmination of careful work to ensure cub safety and the health of Tennessee’s existing wild bear population,” said TWRA Executive Director Jason Maxedon. “Our partnership with ABR and the University of Tennessee CVM reflects a shared commitment to science‑based stewardship. These updated protocols ensure that every cub in ABR’s care has the best possible chance to be released healthy, strong, and wild.”
“Today’s announcement represents a shared commitment to doing what is best for Tennessee’s bears, years of collaboration, and a remarkable response from our supporters,” said Greg Grieco, Executive Director of Appalachian Bear Rescue. “Our achievements would not have been possible without generosity from across the globe, and our team is deeply grateful for these partnerships. ABR is excited to once again provide orphaned cubs with another chance at life in the wild.”
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is the state agency tasked with preserving, conserving, managing, protecting, and enhancing the fish and wildlife of the state and their habitats for the use, benefit, and enjoyment of the citizens of Tennessee and its visitors. TWRA also serves as the permitting agency that regulates wildlife rehabilitation facilities.
Appalachian Bear Rescue is a specialized wildlife rehabilitation facility providing care for orphaned black bear cubs, having rehabilitated more than 400 black bear cubs over a 30-year history. In addition to rehabilitation, ABR contributes to public education, outreach, and scientific research that supports black bear rehabilitation.
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]]>In her latest piece, WPLN environmental reporter Caroline Eggers asks: “Black bears are threatened by climate change. How can we help?”
Below is an excerpt from Eggers’ piece, which features Appalachian Bear Rescue’s Executive Director, Greg Grieco, alongside our partners across conservation.
How climate change affects black bears
Bears used to cover all of Tennessee.
After centuries of hunting, mining and logging, they retreated to the high terrain of the Appalachian Mountains.
Tennessee now has an estimated 6,000 bears — following significant population growth in recent decades — with notable concentrations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cherokee, the state’s only national forest.
These habitats remain under threat, according to Matt Drury, science director of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
“A lot of these systems are on the ropes from past mismanagement,” Drury said, along with expanding land developments.
Climate change poses additional challenges.
Take extreme weather events like Hurricane Helene: Two years ago, rapid winds and record rainfall flowed down the mountains and destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres of forest. Then, non-native plants seized the opportunity to spread and knock out native species, disrupting a web of plants and animals in the process.
A lack of rainfall is also an issue. In the third week of May, Great Smoky Mountains National Park was in severe drought.
‘Dryness in the landscape can stress bears’
Dryness in the landscape can stress bears during the spring when natural food sources are already scarce, according to Greg Grieco, a longtime park ranger who now supports orphaned cubs through the Appalachian Bear Rescue.
“Bears’ diets are pretty much limited to salad and grubs in the springtime,” Grieco said.
That type of natural vegetation scarcity may push bears to look for food around people.
“Bears kind of always get the short end of the straw when it comes to this human-bear conflict continuum,” Grieco said. “What we see is bears constantly finding new ways to adapt to their environments, even though humans really don’t do anything to help bears.”
In addition to climate and development impacts, hunting practices still exists today: The state allows hunters to kill several hundred bears each year because, officials say, of a stable population.
Thank you to Eggers and WPLN for highlighting black bear conservation, and for featuring Appalachian Bear Rescue.
Top Photo: Greg Grieco, director of the Appalachian Bear Rescue, is in Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on May 20, 2026. By Jared Kunish / WKU Public Radio.
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]]>About Jon D. B.:
Here's to a bright future and another 30 years together
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]]>Appalachian Bear Rescue May 2026 Update:
The post Appalachian Bear Rescue Update from Executive Director appeared first on Appalachian Bear Rescue.
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Recording from ABR’s April Member Education night with ABR Lead Curator and Parasitologist Seth Wyckoff. Seth covers all of the important information regarding Bear Roundworm (Baylisascaris transfuga) and what we do at the ABR facility to mitigate high loads of this parasite! Over 50% of cubs and over 90% of adult bears in the East Tennessee region carry this worm and Curator Seth talks about what is concerning about this parasite and what is not!
Join ABR For Future Education Nights!
You can join these insightful discussions about all things bears (and other wildlife) by becoming an ABR Member. It is a great way to support us, as well as get some cool “insider” perks! Joining in on these classes and discussions and asking questions live with our experts is just one of many.
Thank you for being an advocate for our black bear and wildlife conservation!
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]]>Here’s a link to the full bill:
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