SALISBURY, Md. - Stop and say goodbye to bear cub "Sinchi" in the Salisbury Zoo who will be moving to the Philadelphia Zoo next week.
Sinchi was separated from his mother, Chaska. This was done because both mom and cub have shown through their behaviors that it is time for Sinchi to “leave the nest.” In the wild at around 1-2 years of age a cub will leave its mother and venture out into the forest ready to start a new life, perhaps with offspring of its own someday. Like most bear species, Andean bears are naturally solitary animals, rarely come in contact with other bears unless they are seeking a mate. The bears are just exhibiting expected and normal behaviors and they must honor their instincts.
Sinchi will be move to the Philadelphia Zoo next week, under recommendations from the Andean Bear Species Survival Program. With only 20,000 Andean bears estimated to be left in the wild these bears are classified as vulnerable by the ICUN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). This collaboration with other institutions is important to conservation and gives hope for the future of the species.
You can stop by to say goodbye during the Zoo’s new opening days and hours: Thursday thru Sunday, 10:00am to 3:00pm. Sinchi will be on exhibit thru Thursday April 8th.