Rescued brown bears on exhibit at the Toledo Zoo

Three rescued brown bears, two female grizzlies and a male Kodiak, are now on exhibit in Tembo Trail at the Toledo Zoo.

The two grizzly bears were rescued from Yellowstone National Park after their mother killed and fed on a hiker. Park workers then killed the mother.

Dodge and his two siblings were found in May, 2015, after their mother was killed by hunters on Kodiak Island off the southern coast of Alaska. The cubs were hand-reared at the Alaska Zoo for six months. Two were sent to a Wisconsin Zoo and Dodge came to Toledo in late October.

According to the release sisters, Montana and Cody, from Yellowstone National Park and Dodge, from Kodiak Island, Alaska are in good health, have bonded well as a group and are actively discovering all aspects of their new home.

Though once widespread in the United States, brown bears now only reside in five states: Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington. Not only has their geographic range dramatically decreased but the competition between humans and wildlife for space and resources has increased, as humans expand into and make greater use of the remaining natural areas. This conflict for space can have dire consequences for both humans and bears.

The Toledo Zoo invites all guests to learn more about the stories of Montana, Cody and Dodge and the difficulties facing their species and other wildlife while visiting the bears’ new home. “In addition to giving these bears a much-needed and great home, our goal is to educate our guests on how to co-exist with animals. We want to ensure that future generations are able to know and appreciate these magnificent creatures and their role in our interconnected ecosystem,” said Toledo Zoo executive director, Jeff Sailer in a release.