Alaska Grizzly Cubs Make Public Debut at Detroit Zoo

Orphaned cubs' mother killed by poacher in October 2011

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By Brendan Joel Kelley
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Story Created: Mar 22, 2012 at 10:22 AM AKDT

Story Updated: Mar 22, 2012 at 10:43 AM AKDT

In October 2011, three orphan grizzly cubs were rescued by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game after their mother was killed by a poacher. The cubs were spotted in residential parts of Anchorage scrounging for food, and Fish and Game determined they wouldn't survive the winter on their own.

Fish and Game contacted the Detroit Zoological Society, which rescues animals throughout North America, and arranged for the cubs to be relocated to the Detroit Zoo after a short stint at the Alaska Zoo.

The cubs arrived in Detroit on December 2, and spent the winter hibernating in a private area of the zoo, before making their public debut Thursday, March 22. They've now nearly doubled in size, measuring around 4 1/2 feet tall and between 215 and 255 pounds.

In the gallery at left you can see photos of the grizzlies courtesy of Mark M. Gaskill, Phoenix Innovate.

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