Watching the young black bear named Tule scampering up redwood trees, hanging out in a hammock or playing in the pond in the enclosure at the Sequoia Park Zoo, visitors might be surprised to learn about his difficult start to life.
Now a healthy, playful yearling with a perhaps unsurprising fondness for honey, Tule has come a long way since he was found all alone in 2022 on Tule River Nation Reservation in Tulare County.
Just a few weeks old and a little bundle of fur weighing a mere 3.7 pounds, Tule was brought to the Lake Tahoe Wildlife Center to be nursed back to health after a several-days-long attempt to reunite the cub with his mother was unsuccessful.
Suffering from multiple health issues, specialists from across the world were consulted about what the zoo described as Tule’s “unique case” during his year-long recovery at the center.
Today, bare patches on Tule’s back and hindquarters are the only vestiges of the medical conditions he faced, with Sequoia Park Zoo Animal Curator Amanda Auston explaining the bald spots are “residual scar tissue from the severe skin infection he suffered as a cub.”
While those may be evident to visitors, Auston says his “patchy appearance” doesn’t cause any problems for the young bear, especially in Eureka’s relatively mild climate.
“In fact, his coat is overall very healthy and he takes supplements to help support healthy hair and skin,” she says, noting the animal care team closely monitors him and “are able to note and address any concerns that may arise, and we are pleased to report that Tule is doing great.”
But because Tule will never be able to grow back his full coat — an impediment to survival in the wild — officials with the California Department Fish and Wildlife deemed him unsuitable for release.
During his time at the wildlife care center in Tahoe, Tule was raised with another cub named Noni. Like Tule, Noni was discovered orphaned in the Oak Run area of Shasta County, about 20 miles east of Redding.
While Tule’s health issues prevented a return to the wild, in Noni’s case it was because she never showed an appropriate fear of humans, despite efforts by the care team to prepare her for release.
During their recovery, the two formed a tight bond, “a relationship similar to what sibling cubs might have as they grow up playing and exploring in the wild,” Auston says. So when the time came for Tule and Noni to find a permanent home, the pair were brought together in May of 2023 to the Sequoia Park Zoo, which had recently completed a new bear habitat.
On their arrival, the young bears joined more than 150 other denizens at not only the oldest zoo in California — having been established in 1907 — but also one of the smallest in the nation to be accredited by Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The two quickly developed a following among zoo visitors, who delighted in watching the pair grow up before their eyes but, unfortunately, Noni died in October despite two emergency surgeries after a blockage caused by connective tissue caused substantial damage to her colon.
The announcement of Noni’s passing prompted an outpouring of support from people near and far, who shared pictures, videos and their favorite memories of watching the orphaned yearlings’ playful escapades, while sending well wishes to zoo staff and Tule.
With many people asking whether another bear will be brought in as a companion for Tule, Auston says that while Noni and Tule were the first bears in the new habitat, “it was designed with the capacity to care for several animals, including more bears and coyote in the future.”
“We work closely with California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) on the placement of rehabilitated animals, and we will coordinate with them when they have non-releasable wildlife in need of a home,” she says. “Typically, these placements occur in late spring or early summer and depend entirely on CDFW and the rehabilitation organization.”
Auston says the zoo staff appreciates the concern expressed for Tule in the wake of Noni’s loss.
“While we think that Tule probably misses Noni’s companionship, he has kept to his busy bear schedule and seems to be adjusting to this new normal,” she says, adding that “Tule’s zoomies have slowed down a bit, but zookeepers report that Tule is foraging and eating well, interacting with enrichment, climbing trees and splashing in the pond.”
In general, Auston says, “Tule has a very calm personality and is the master of the classic Pooh Bear sit,” but is also “inquisitive, playful and very smart.”
She says it was “not important or necessary for Noni and Tule to stay together, as they would naturally mature and go their separate ways in the wild,” but notes the two — which she dubbed “the dynamic duo” — had “a clear bond and compatibility” that the zoo was “happy to foster.”
“Even before Noni’s passing, the bears were playing together less and spending more time foraging,” Auston says. “During the fall, bears experience a seasonal change known as ‘hyperphagia’ in which they become ravenous and bulk up in preparation for winter. Although Tule will never experience food scarcity at the zoo, his bear biology is telling him to keep searching for food as winter approaches.”
She adds that one of the big changes animal care staff has noticed is that “Tule now has no sense of urgency.”
On his own, “Tule is much slower working on his enrichment and foraging for food,” Auston says. “He was already a very laid-back bear.”
Meanwhile, zoo staff have been spending additional time with Tule, “including offering to play, creating enriching opportunities and training new behaviors.”
“Tule is a smart bear, and he has been highly engaged in the training sessions where he works with zookeepers to learn behaviors that help him participate in his care, such as sitting on a scale, showing his paws and sticking out his tongue,” she says.
“Tule has also been initiating playtime with his zookeepers, and he will frequently seek them out to play in the hose when they are cleaning and servicing the habitat,” Auston adds. “Tule seems to be interested in spending more time with animal care staff, and he can often be found lounging on the patio where he has a good view of zookeeper activities in his area.”
As with all the animals under their care, she says, the staff create enrichment activities to “encourage and challenge natural instincts and behaviors.”
In the case of Tule, Auston says, the staff engage him by hiding food around in the habitat and providing “special puzzle feeders that stimulate natural foraging behaviors and create opportunities for engagement and activity.”
In addition, the staff provides Tule with “interactive toys like firehose hammocks, tire swings and floating balls, and natural items like rotting logs, melting ice and running water,” Auston says. “Enrichment can also change depending on the season and may include creating opportunities for playing in water during the summer and presenting different bedding materials for denning in winter.”
The bear habitat itself also plays an important role, she says, which was designed to play into the animals’ natural instincts, allowing Tule to behave as he would in the wild without promptings of the human kind.
That includes the tall redwood trees for climbing and an elaborate water feature designed and built by local resident Ben Goulart of the Waterfall Guy to provide running water for play and drinking.
In addition, she says the “size and diversity of their habitat” gives Tule the option of moving to a place out of public view if he wants a place to feel safe and comfortable for a midday nap.
While new bears may be on the horizon, don’t get any hopes up for the pitter-patter of tiny bear paws in the future.
“As cute as baby bears are, there is no shortage of American black bears in the wild or in human care, and there is no need for a breeding program in zoos,” Auston says. “We want to remain available as a home for wild bears who cannot be returned to the wild.”
While the ultimate goal of wildlife rehabilitation is to prepare animals of any kind for release into the wild, that’s not always possible, Auston says, as was the case with Tule, Noni and an assortment of other animals that also call the Sequoia Park Zoo home — from a blinded northern spotted owl named “Winky” to ravens, raccoons and a bald eagle.
Instead, rescued animals like Tule take on a new role as ambassadors for their species.
“The mission of the Sequoia Park Zoo is to inspire conservation of the natural world by instilling wonder, respect, and passion for wildlife, and we go about that in so many ways,” Auston says. “At the zoo, we have the privilege of getting to know the personalities and stories of individual animals, and our community develops deep connections with these special animal ambassadors.”
She notes studies show that “people who make strong connections to animals are often inspired to help protect them and want to see their species thrive in the wild.”
“One important way that we meet our mission is by sharing how people can practice conservation locally and support and coexist with our native animals — because wildlife doesn’t always see the boundaries between human spaces and ‘the wild,'” Auston says.
Visit Tule and his fellow Sequoia Park Zoo residents at 3414 W St. in Eureka, Tuesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This article appears in Humboldt Insider Fall/Winter 2024.