On December 4th, Munsey and Boda could still enjoy the 32 degree weather while they collected and munched on icicles from their waterfall.
On the afternoon of December 5th it was 30 degrees and the wind really picked up , so I only spent 30 minutes at Wildwood Zoo. The doors to the indoor bear den were opened for the boys, so they could go inside where they were protected from the elements. Boda sat outside the door for about 10 minutes and the remaining time he sat in the door opening resting. One of the photographs has little droplets covering the photograph. The droplets were created from the spray of the water from the waterfall as the strong winds began that afternoon.
This first video is of Munsey as he awakes from his afternoon nap.
The following video’s are of Munsey and Boda playing with a fire hose. Munsey has learned a new trick over the past few days. He’s learned that he no longer needs to tread water for 30 minutes and hold his breath for long period of times to retrieve the fire hose. He’s discovered that if he kicks his hind legs around long enough, he’ll move the the hose from the bottom of the pool to the surface and capture the hose.
Boda is most often seen on the side of the pool because he doesn’t seem to enjoy swimming in the deeper water of the pool.
The observations window offers a unique opportunity for zoo guests to observe the Kodiak cubs. Munsey and Boda especially enjoy interacting with the youngest guests visiting Wildwood Zoo! This photo and video above was taken in early October of 2016.
Most weekday mornings fruits and veggies are hidden around the JP Adler Kodiak Bear Exhibit and other sections of the Kodiak Habitat area as an enrichment activity for the cubs.
On Tuesday October 18th, Munsey and Boda had a grand time playing with a fire hose that was given to them by the Wildwood Zoo staff. The cubs swam in the deep pool area that is located in the JP Adler Kodiak Bear Habitat area. I was amazed as Munsey demonstrated his ability to swim in the 13 feet of water for over 30 minutes, while attempting to retrieve a section of the fire hose that had sunk to the bottom of the pool.
In the photograph below, Munsey is swimming with the fire hose that retrieved from the bottom of the pool.
The second section of the fire hose also sank to the bottom of the pool and to my surprise Munsey was able to retrieve that second section of hose. From my observation it appears that Munsey was learning to hold his breath a little longer with every attempt he made as he submerged his face into the water. It will be interesting to see if he masters this skill in the future.
Some of the staff from the Baraboo Zoo stopped in to learn more about the JP Adler Kodiak Bear Exhibit, and view the Floyd & Pat Hammus Bear Bridge and the Bear Woods.
If your planning a trip to visit Wildwood Zoo in Marshfield and want to see the cubs in action, I’d recommend that you come between 9:30 am to 11:30 am. The cubs have their breakfast around 9:00-9:30 am, afterwards the zoo staff will usually hide some fruit and vegetable snacks for the cubs to find. It’s always fun to watch the cubs go on a scavenger hunt for their snacks!
The cubs are served their lunch around 12:30-1:00 pm. After lunch the bear door is unlocked and the bears can go in and out as they wish, which means they could choose to take an afternoon nap inside the bear building. (If you find them napping, remember they are only 20-21 months old and they need their rest because they’re still growing. The cubs are now about 410 and 433 pounds, the cubs are considered mature at around five years of age.)
The tall center door located in the JP Adler Kodiak Bear Exhibit is designed specifically for Munsey and Boda. This door gives the cubs the ability to enter and exit the bear building. This door is also unlocked on the weekends.
Steve Burns (head zookeeper at Wildwood Zoo) brings a pail of fruit to the observation window and requests a little girl to assist him by ringing a cow bell.
During your visit please remember to donate a few dollars to help support the Zoo. You can find the collection canisters stationed at each of the zoo entrances.
New signage is on display in front of the Bear Woods section of the Kodiak Bear Exhibit at Wildwood Zoo. A team in Kodiak, AK and a team in Marshfield, WI. collaborated to create the new signage and the public can expect more Kodiak bear signage to be added in the near future.
This morning, Steve Burns ( Zookeeper at Wildwood Zoo) informed me that Boda’s weight is 415 pounds while Munsey ‘s weight is 400 pounds. I secretly keep hoping that one day in the near future Munsey will gain enough weight and catch up to Boda weight.
The photograph on the left was taken in October of 2015 ( the cubs weight last October was 120 – 130 pounds) and the photograph on the right was taken today. It’s been amazing to observe the growth and development the cubs have made since they first arrived almost one year ago.
(photograph on the left taken in October 2015) When the cubs crossed over the Floyd & Pat Hammus Bridge for the first time the cubs were lost behind the signage on the bridge. (photographs on the right taken this morning) Today the bears can be seen as they cross over the bridge. I’m looking forward to documenting the continued growth and development of the cubs over the next few years.
While visiting Munsey and Boda this morning I had the opportunity meet a few zoo guests and share some information with them about the cubs.
iMAGiNETHAT! 