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Appalachian Bear Rescue

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Appalachian Bear Rescue

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Please help with the care of our cubs. DONATE today! http://appalachianbearrescue.org/
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http://appalachianbearrescue.org/donate-today

Get updates from ABR! 🐻📨
https://appalachianbearrescue.org/contact-form/

10/30/2026

📣 SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM CURATOR KATRINA 📣

Hey y'all! We can't wait to see everyone at the BEARLY 5K this Halloween weekend 🍁 It's going to be a blast, and every dollar raised goes straight back to helping the orphaned and injured cubs we all are in this for together.

Our BEARS ARE BACK IN TOWNSEND Campaign is running (pun intended) right alongside for the exact same reason. We are so grateful for the support y'all have shown over the last 30 (!!!!) years - but especially the last two years as you helped us renovate and create this gold standard facility in Townsend, TN.

Together, we've saved the lives of 6 bear cubs so far this year. They'll be back in the wild where they belong soon, and then the cycle of life continues - all thanks to YOU.

By supporting the 5K, our TOWNSEND Campaign, or just coming by the gift shop or shopping online or telling a friend, you're ensuring those next bear cubs have a place to go if they need it. But so much more is happening through all of this.

You are also helping a community movement in which friends, neighbors, and businesses live more responsibly with black bears - helping prevent problems for our bears before they even begin.

And with your continued friendship and support we'll be doing this for another 30 years. Thank y'all for everything, truly! And please reach out anytime. We are always here to help.

- Katrina

10/27/2026

Spooky Season and Pumpkin Spice

Weather: 74F/23C, 54% Humidity, Sunny

Tis the Spooky Season! That being said, our already wary bears were put on high alert when curators sneakily put some lovely heirloom (big and scary) pumpkins in their enclosure for enrichment.

After nearly a half hour of building up their courage, the cubs finally tried to approach the pumpkins. Unfortunately the first few attempts resulted in all six cubs scurrying up the nearest tree when one cub gets spooked, they all get spooked.

As soon as the cubs realized the pumpkins were not going to chase and eat them, the tables soon turned...it was the pumpkins turn to feel fear. So much so, that on two occasions the pumpkins made a run for it!!...or they were pushed down hill by the cubs.

Links in the comments to our online store for merchandise and gifts, and to our newest fundraising campaign; The Bears Are Back in Townsend!

10/22/2026

October 22, 2026 - Cub Rasslin'🐻

Rasslin': (noun) a southern-accent phonetic term for wrestling💪

Many of you who have followed ABR for a while are well aware that cub play often times seems quite rough to the human eye. There is often a lot of biting and a heavy involvement of claws. There also tends to be plenty of "takedowns" and "pins" over the course of a play fight. There is no specific parameters of what "cub rasslin'" is and is not, but usually you know what is is when you see it😉

Cub play fighting mostly involves two cubs, but can certainly pique the interest of other nearby cubs who often seem eager to join in. Sometimes a nearby cub gets involved in a fight without intending to, simply because a whirling, rolling pile bowls right into them 🐻🌪

In the wild, sibling cubs spend many hours of the day play fighting with each other until they get tired or their mother separates them. These play fights help cubs practice "defense skills", bite control, and balancing to be used as adult cubs should they need to stand their ground against other bears. Additionally, cub rasslin' is used as social bonding between cubs as they learn what is "too hard of a bite" or "too rough" by trying things out on each other.

The main way to know if cubs are play fighting or real fighting is to listen. When bears fight in the wild there are almost always vocalizations including popping jaws, huffing and low "growl-like" noises. When cubs play fight, they are almost completely silent (except for the occasional yowl signaling things are getting too rough). Around ABR, almost all fighting amongst the cubs is playful.

We happened to catch some rasslin' going on in Wild Enclosure 6 this morning. Currently we only have one camera that can see into the top of Wild Enclosures 5 & 6, which makes getting regular footage of what activities the six current cub residents get into a challenge.

This particular footage involves Wintergreen Bear and her sister Marsh. Wintergreen seems to look a few pounds heavier than her sister, but Marsh holds her own just fine. At the end of the tussle, brother Quince Bear inadvertently joins the fight (due to his close proximity to the moving chaos). 🐻🐻🐻

Curators are always tickled to see cubs doing wild bear things. Every day they are growing and learning how to be "adult bears" from each other during their short stay at ABR. Oh and for all parties concerned, they are also continuing to round out😅😉

10/20/2026

🎙️ABR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SPEAKS TO 10ABOUT TOWN PODCAST ON 60 BEARS EUTHANIZED IN SEVIER COUNTY🎙️

Appalachian Bear Rescue Executive Director Greg recently joined WBIR Channel 10's 10About Town Podcast to discuss the "disappointing" news surrounding the euthanasia of 60 black bears in Sevier County, Tennessee.

During the conversation, Greg shared his full perspective on the challenges facing black bears in our communities and the importance of responsible human behavior, education, and coexistence in preventing tragedies like this.

"It's really disappointing. People have to do better," he reiterated. As human development continues to expand into bear habitat, understanding how our actions affect these incredible animals is more important than ever.

ED Greg also reiterated how detrimental rental cabin trash systems are to our bears, alongside birdseed, aka the "gateway drug" for habituating bears, he says.

Until we have increased penalties for feeding bears and are much more proactive in protecting our wild neighbors, state officials will continue to have to be reactive in euthanizing bears that are breaking into cars and houses. State officials do not want to do this any more than we want them to. It all comes back to proactive prevention, and we have a long way to go in Sevier county.

🐻 Tune in to hear the conversation and learn how we can all play a role in protecting Tennessee's black bears.

Thank you to WBIR Channel 10 for providing a platform for this important discussion!

10/19/2026

Hear Ye, Hear Ye 📣 Pre-order your ABR 30th Anniversary Sweatshirt Today!

Grab yourself a cozy hoodie sweatshirt with ABR's 30th Anniversary Logo in large print on the front. The sweatshirt is our usual soft Next Level brand with a hood in the color army green.

Place a pre-order to ensure you get one this fall. We estimate the sweatshirts should arrive to your doorstep in the middle of November! (link in the comments)

10/18/2026

Every Sunday, we’re introducing you to the stories behind the names of our six resident cubs—because every name at ABR carries meaning.

Next up: Marsh 🌾🐻

Marsh arrived at ABR on August 6, 2026, alongside her three siblings after they became orphaned when their mother was found deceased after being struck by a vehicle in Washington County, Tennessee.

At a little over six months old, Marsh weighed a healthy 18 pounds when she was rescued, making her noticeably larger than her siblings Redbud and Quince. In litters of four, cubs often vary in size as they compete for the same milk supply, and Marsh clearly managed to hold her own. After an overnight rescue effort, she and her siblings began the next chapter of their lives in ABR’s care.

Her name comes from the marshes and wetlands found throughout the Southern Appalachians, including right here in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 🌿

You might not expect to find wetlands tucked into these densely forested mountains, but they come in many forms—from the springs that seep down from high-elevation slopes near Mount LeConte to the marshes and wetlands of Cades Cove. It wasn’t until park resource managers conducted a project to inventory and monitor the park’s wetlands from 2010 to 2016 that they uncovered the incredible diversity of life these wetlands had been quietly supporting.

Marshes and wetlands everywhere have demonstrated resilience and strength despite facing environmental threats like invasive species, development and climate change.

Marsh the cub has shown a similar quiet strength and resilience from the start. She continues to grow, explore, learn, and build the skills she'll need in just a few short weeks, when she is released back to the wild.

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about each cub and the inspiration behind their names as much as we’ve enjoyed sharing their stories.

Thank you for being part of their journey! 🌿🐻

10/15/2026

Enjoy 56 seconds of cubs crunching chestnuts.

We know it can't fix all the problems a long week brings, but it certainly can't hurt 😊 😉

10/14/2026

🐻🌟 A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM LEAD CURATOR SETH 🌟🐻
*and seasonal employee Betty the Black Rat Snake 🐍

We want to let you know that our new fundraising campaign, Bears are Back in Townsend, is underway, and we've raised just over $40,000 in the first weeks.

With your support and donations, we are able to stay in operations and provide orphaned black bear cubs and cubs in need a second chance at life.

Your donations help us provide food, facilities, and medical care to these orphaned cubs in Tennessee and the Great Smoky Mountains.

We - Betty and I and the entire ABR team - can't thank you enough - please help us spread the word and we hope you have a great day 🌟

GIVE TODAY: https://appalachianbearrescue.org/donate-today/

10/11/2026

Every Sunday, we’re introducing you to the stories behind the names of our six resident cubs because every name at ABR carries meaning.

Next up: Redbud 🌺🐻

Redbud arrived at ABR on August 6, 2026, alongside her three siblings after their mother was struck and killed by a vehicle in Washington County, Tennessee.

At just over six months old, Redbud weighed only 10 pounds when she was rescued. Although she was the smallest of her siblings, veterinarians at the University of Tennessee found her to be healthy and gave her a good prognosis.

Her name comes from the eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis), one of the first trees to announce spring in the Southern Appalachians. Long before most trees begin to leaf out, redbuds burst into bloom, covering their branches with vibrant pink and purple blossoms.

Known for their striking flowers, redbud trees are popular ornamentals. They grow quickly when young but they are an understory tree, reaching only 20-30 feet tall.

Despite belonging to the legume (or bean) family, redbuds do not form the root nodules needed to "fix" nitrogen in the soil. They do, however, produce flat, bean-like seed pods that provide food for birds, squirrels, and other wildlife, and are even edible for people.

In fact, nearly every part of the redbud tree has been used traditionally by humans for food, medicine, basket-making, and dye. The blossoms can be eaten fresh in salads, pickled as a caper substitute, candied, baked into treats, or brewed into sun tea and redbud jelly. Rich in nectar and pollen, the flowers also provide an important early-season food source for pollinators, especially native bees and butterflies. 🐝🦋

Often seen as a symbol of rebirth and resilience, the redbud is a fitting namesake for this particular cub.

Over the past few months, she has been steadily catching up to her siblings in size while spending her days exploring, climbing, foraging, and learning the skills she'll need to survive on her own.

In just a few short weeks, Redbud will be returning to the wild, where she can truly bloom.

Check back next Sunday for the last, but certainly not least, the story behind Marsh's name. 🐻 📖

10/09/2026

October 9, 2026 - Rounding out 🌰 🐻

It seems these days as if the only updates about the cubs we have to share with you are regarding their "rounding-out-ness". This is because basically all there is to do if you're a bear cub at ABR in October is eat!

Bear cubs come "equipped" with the ability to "shell" all kinds of nuts thanks to their prehensile lips (your vocabulary word for the day) and agile tongues. While tougher nut shells such as those on walnuts, pecans and hickory nuts' are still difficult for young bear cub teeth to break through, shells on acorns and chestnuts are no problem for little bears!

We are certainly in the depths of Bear Bulking Season and when it is bears vs acorns, bears always win!

Address

Townsend, TN
37882

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4pm
Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+18654480143

Website

https://appalachianbearrescue.org/, https://appalachianbearrescue.org/contact-form

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