Tub's out cubs out!

When summer heats up, Oregon Zoo black bear cubs Timber and Thorn know just what to do. The two newest residents of Black Bear Ridge have been chilling out in a 300-gallon tub that their caregivers keep filled with cool water.

“The things that are important for people during hot weather are important for animals too,” said Jen Osburn Eliot, who oversees the zoo’s Great Northwest area. “We make sure everyone has plenty of water and access to cool spaces — that goes for our guests, zoo staff and of course all of the animals in our care.”

Found wandering separately in Alaska and too young to survive on their own, both bear cubs were rescued by state wildlife officials and taken to the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage for care before arriving in Portland in December 2023. Care staff named them in honor of their forest home and Portland’s major league soccer teams, the Timbers and Thorns.

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