New Arrivals: Lexi and Ash, Brown Bears

Lincoln Park Zoo is un-bear-ably excited to announce the arrival of two big and furry new residents! Brown bears Ash and Lexi have made their debut at Walter Family Arctic Tundra. This is the first time Lincoln Park Zoo has cared for brown bears since 1979.

Both bears are female and have arrived from Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, Wisconsin. They are related, as their mothers were a mother and daughter pair; these two are often referred to as sisters due to their closeness. Ash and Lexi are adults who were born in the wild, so their exact birthdays are unknown.

In 2011, the bears were removed from the wild as cubs by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks after their mothers became too habituated to humans and taught them to raid trash cans. Because they were classified as nuisance bears, the cubs could not be returned to the wild. After spending several years at the Dakota Zoo in Bismarck, North Dakota, Ash and Lexi were transferred to Henry Vilas Zoo.

Lincoln Park Zoo recently underwent an exchange with the Madison-based zoo, sending male polar bear Siku there with a breeding recommendation and bringing Ash and Lexi to Chicago in time for winter. The brown bears are approaching their seasonal torpor time, which means they may spend just a few days exploring their new habitat before finding a place behind the scenes to ride out winter. Torpor is a natural, involuntary state in which an animal’s heartbeat, breathing, and metabolism slow down to conserve energy.

In this video, the bears explore their new habitat:

Brown bears (ursus arctos) originate in the forests and mountains of North America and Eurasia. In fact, they make up the most widely distributed bear species in the world. Weighing on average 600 pounds and measuring 5–8 feet in height (females are smaller), they are omnivorous and often solitary except for females and their cubs—although they have been known to gather in abundant fishing spots when salmon are spawning (see Fat Bear Week). Brown bears have different behaviors, size, coloring, life cycles, and diet based on their location. Inland bears like Lexi and Ash are part of the grizzly bear subspecies, as the fur on their coat is lighter at the tips.

In the fall, wild brown bears can eat as much as 90 pounds of food each day. They dig dens for their period of torpor in winter; females den while pregnant and often have pairs of cubs at a time in the spring. Cubs stay with their mothers for around two and a half years and females become mature at four years of age; males take a few years longer.

Keepers at Henry Vilas Zoo say that Lexi is known to be a bit braver than Ash, who is the bigger bear. Lexi may thus interact with enrichment more quickly, although Ash is said to be more food motivated. Both are quite playful. Come by the zoo and see their antics before they settle down for the winter—but if they are not out, know they might already be slumbering in preparation for the new year!