This ‘mellow’ bear rescued from Yellowstone area now calls NC Zoo home. Meet Ronan
Clarification: The North Carolina Zoo later clarified that Ronan was rescued from Pablo, Montana, northwest of Yellowstone.
A “mellow” bear got a second chance at life — and now calls North Carolina his new home.
Ronan the grizzly bear recently came to the North Carolina Zoo after years of living at a wildlife center in Arizona, officials said on Monday, Dec. 13.
“We are so beary excited to introduce you to our new grizzly bear, Ronan,” the N.C. Zoo wrote in a Facebook post. “At 740 lbs, the 9-year-old grizzly bear is settling in well to his new habitat and already capturing the hearts of his keepers.”
The zoo is welcoming another bear after the loss of Tommo, a “beloved” grizzly that greeted visitors for more than two decades. Tommo was rescued from Yellowstone National Park after he was considered a “nuisance bear,” which are dangerous because they don’t fear people, McClatchy News reported in July.
Ronan has a similar background.
When Ronan was a cub, Yellowstone officials considered his mom a “nuisance bear,” the N.C. Zoo said.
“Nuisance bears have lost their fear of humans because they start to associate people as suppliers of food,” the wildlife center said. “Because of this, they pose a significant threat to humans (raiding campsites and hiking trails), and many bears, such as the mother, must be put down.”
Ronan and his twin sister were saved in 2013 and settled at Reid Park Zoo in Tuscon, Arizona. Though the two have been together for years, “grizzlies need to live separately as they get older because they are solitary animals,” officials said.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums recommended Ronan’s move, which is expected to take a toll on the wildlife staff in Arizona.
“Ronan has always been a calm and easygoing bear who quickly became a favorite with all of the keepers who worked with him,” Stephanie Norton, an animal welfare specialist, said in a news release. “He has grown into an adult bear at Reid Park Zoo and will definitely be missed, but everyone here is so excited for his chance to continue to grow and experience new things at his new home.”
The N.C. Zoo is in Asheboro, roughly 70 miles west of Raleigh. Though its grizzly bear habitat had been empty since Tommo’s death over the summer, officials said visitors can now find Ronan in the North America section.
In the wild, male grizzlies can weigh up to 700 pounds. As of 2019, more than 700 of the animals were estimated to be living near Yellowstone, so people visiting the area are urged to secure their food and garbage, according to the National Park Service.
This story was originally published December 14, 2021 at 9:11 AM.
