Ahwahnee
North American Black Bear
Born 2001




Ahwahnee came from a facility who had bred her for a small zoo, however they declined to take her when they saw her birth defect. She was born with a portion of her right outer ear missing. Because she couldn't be sold, the breeder began to make arrangements to send her to an exotic animal auction. When they learned we had space for one more bear she was sent to Indigo Mountain.
Ahwahnee prefers to be an only bear and is content with her own company so she lives in her own habitat. She spends times splashing in her pool, watching the wolfdogs nearby, and entertaining herself with all kinds of puzzles and toys given to her. She greets bears with blustery vocalizations,and a few bluff charges, but welcomes some of the staff with trusting soft sounds and soft eyes. She thoroughly enjoys her training sessions and interaction with people. She can be quite the ham when she wants to and her curiosity shows no limits as she watches us and mimics some of our actions. When we do maintenance on her habitat she is quick to mimic us climbing a ladder by climbing a tree.