“Tule” (pronounced Too-Lee) was only weeks old when he was found in April 2022 on the Tule River Nation Reservation. Despite searching, the local community was unable to locate his mother, and the Tule River Tribal Police Department transported him to Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, Inc. for rehabilitation. Tule's initial exam revealed that he weighed only 3.7 lbs and had a variety of health concerns, and veterinary staff worked with specialists from around the world on his unique case. LTWC provided the Zoo with a detailed history of Tule’s rehabilitation journey, and Zoo staff will continue to monitor his condition and provide treatment as needed. Although Tule’s issues are mostly resolved, tests and medical exams have determined that his coat will not regrow - which would be essential for survival in the wild. But Tule doesn’t let a little hair loss get in the way of his good time! He is a bold, inquisitive bear with a big personality. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife determined that the best option for Tule’s long-term success would be permanent placement at the Sequoia Park Zoo, and he and Noni (formerly Oak) made the trip from Lake Tahoe to Eureka on Monday, May 22, 2023. Watch Tule's story!
“Noni” is one of the two new bears calling the Sequoia Park Zoo home! Noni weighed 6.5 lbs when she was found orphaned in Oak Run, California, in early May 2022. Noni's personality quickly shined, and she stood out as a silly, curious, friendly bear cub that loves to play. Unfortunately, Noni never displayed the appropriate fear response to humans, despite the best efforts of the Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, Inc. team to prepare her for a return to the wild. In fact, as the days grew shorter and food resources were reduced, Noni did not show any natural signs of slowing down to enter torpor - a time of seasonal lethargy where body temperature and metabolic rates drop. When bears typically sleep in the cold winter months, this spunky girl would rather play! It was ultimately determined that Noni's habituation to humans made her an unsuitable candidate for life in the wild, and the decision was made to find a home for her and Tule at the Sequoia Park Zoo. Noni, formerly known as "Oak", was given her name by Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria, without whom this habitat would not have been possible.
