Can I visit the Kilham Bear Center?
OUR FACILITY IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. Our state rehabilitation license issued by New Hampshire Fish and Game prohibits us from being open to the public. All the cubs that come through the center are released back into the wild. For this reason, we are careful to minimize the cubs exposure to humans.
How do cubs end up at the Kilham Bear Center? What happened to the their mothers?
Cubs that are brought to the Kilham Bear Center tend to be orphans or individuals who in some other fashion (i.e. injury, illness, or den disturbance) have been irrevocably separated from their mothers.
Which state agencies does the Kilham Bear Center work with?
The Kilham Bear Center has close working relationships with New Hampshire Fish and Game, Vermont Fish and Wildlife, and MassWildlife. Cooperation between these state agencies, local communities and individuals, and the Kilham Bear Center is invaluable in saving cubs lives so they can be released back into the wild when they come of age. We are continually amazed by the hard work and dedication of the individuals of these state agencies affect the rescue of cubs in need.
When are the cubs in your care released?
The cubs that come to our facility are released after they reach eighteen months old. This is the usual age at which family break up occurs in the wild between a mother bear and her cubs. At eighteen months, black bear cubs are both physically and mentally mature enough to start life on their own.
Where are the cubs in your care released?
The cubs are released by the state wildlife agencies who brought the cubs to the center. They are released in large tracts of wilderness areas away from human development at the discretion of the state wildlife agencies.
Do the cubs at the center hibernate?
The cubs at the center do eventually get around to hibernating in the winter. Like wild bears, they are weighing variables like food and weather. With a known supply of food, the cubs are swayed more by weather conditions like heavy snowfall and sub-zero temperatures.
Another thing that seems to affect their decision is what we call the Slumber Party Effect. Imagine a large group ten-year-olds attending a slumber party. They have had a pizza dinner and are absolutely having a great time. They have been given a bedtime of 10:30pm. What are the odds they will be in bed at that time? The cubs sort of act in the same way. Winter and hibernation can be boring. Why not put it off a little while to continue to play with friends especially if it is sunny and warm? Eventually winter and biology kick in though and the cubs generally pack themselves into one big den and hibernate for a couple of months.
Cubs that come in the late fall and winter generally arrive underweight and will overwinter in one of our barns. There they can be monitored more closely and fed. For this reason, less likely to hibernate. Putting on weight is prioritized to better prepare them for release back into the wild in the spring.
All the cubs look the same to me, how do you tell them all apart?
Like individual humans, individual black bears have unique facial characteristics, body types, and personalities that make it relatively easy to tell them apart. They can light or dark muzzles of varying lengths and shapes . Some have light eyebrow markings. Individuals have different sized ears. They have different shaped foreheads. Their body shapes are equally as varied. Some have wavier or thicker fur than others. Some have fur on their neck that lays toward their heads. Each bear also has a distinct personality. Some are introverts and some are extroverts. Some are balls of energy while others are more laid back. Some are picky eaters and some don’t like to take naps.