Andean Bear Cubs Playing and Eating (Photos and Haiku Poem)

This weekend my husband and I had our first sighting of Curt and Nicole, the Smithsonian National Zoo's newest Andean bear cubs. They were born in December but didn't make their public debut until May and this was the first time since then that they've been out at the time of our visit. We stayed watching them for quite a while because they were actively playing and eating and seemed to thoroughly enjoy their habitat. Their mom, Billie Jean, seemed to enjoy her nap just as much as the baby bears enjoyed their romp.  Above you can see the twins sitting up and their mom's back (she's in between them, sleeping). Sadly, their dad, Nikki, passed away before they were born. However, the zoo staff is clearly working extra hard to make up for this lack because the cubs seem totally well adjusted and happy.

The cubs feasted on what looked like oranges, apples and peanuts. While they didn't succeed, they even tried to climb one of the trees. Their playful antics inspired me to write this haiku poem:

Andean bear cubs

try to climb trees, frolic and

feast on fruit and nuts

 I loved the expression on this cub's face when it took an eating break.

Above you can see one bear playing with a cardboard box (it's not just cats who love them) while the other cub enjoys the pile of fruit and mom continues sleeping. I hope you enjoyed these cute bear cub photos. May God bless you and those you love!

Source:
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/publications/pressmaterials/pressreleases/press-release.cfm?id=164

Related posts:
Andean Bear Cub's Birthday Bash: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/01/andean-bear-cubs-birthday-bash.html
Bear Claw Cleaning: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/02/bear-claw-cleaning.html
Lion and Bear Tongues: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/02/lion-and-bear-tongues.html