County Zoo Welcomes Its New Arrivals to the Bear Necessities

After a 6 1/2-hour drive from Northern California, Bob Teagle backed the truck carrying two black bears into a doorway at the rear of the Orange County Zoo.

For the next 45 minutes, the state Fish and Game Department’s wildlife specialist directed zoo workers, volunteers and others who had assembled in the predawn hours Tuesday to set plywood barriers here and lock gates there, all in preparation for a smooth transfer of the 350-pound male bear.

After loading a tranquilizer gun as a precautionary step, Teagle looked at the crowd and whispered, “Everybody stay calm.”

With that, he released a steel gate and the zoo’s newest addition stepped out and sauntered into a cage.

“He walked right into it like he thought it was his own,” Teagle said.

The male and a 120-pound female black bear are successors to Samson, the famous hot-tubbing bear who was euthanized May 14 after suffering kidney failure.

The public will have its first opportunity to welcome both bears during a brief ceremony at 11 a.m. Thursday at the zoo, located in Irvine Regional Park in Orange.

In addition, a name-the-bears contest will be held for children 12 and younger. Entry forms, which must be received by July 20, are available at the zoo.

Although Samson, whose penchant for avocados and hot tubs brought him fans worldwide, is a tough act to follow, the new male gave zoo workers quite a show when he inspected his home and abruptly stood up, towering over zoo director Forrest de Spain, who was speaking to reporters in a corridor.

“These are magnificent animals. We’re very pleased,” said Dr. Robert Everakes, head of the Orange County Zoological Society.

County Supervisor Todd Spitzer, who recently urged that an additional $100,000 be spent by the county for a seal exhibit at the zoo, was among those welcoming the bears.

Spitzer, whose district includes the zoo, said he has become a zoo supporter after regularly visiting with son Justin, 2, who was fond of Samson.

The 3-year-old male bear was brought to Fish and Game’s Rancho Cordova facility just east of Sacramento in 1999. The then-30-pound motherless cub had been found near Lake Tahoe, Teagle said. The bear has spent most of his life in captivity, making him an unlikely candidate for release into the wild.

Part of the zoo’s mission is to accept only animals that cannot be released into the wild, zoo officials said.

Teagle said the male likes to play, stands up a lot and knows a few voice commands. “He was such a good bear and we always wanted to find a home for him,” he said.

The female, about a year old, was found near Independence in November. She was extremely undernourished, weighing only 12 pounds.

The bears were transported by truck and trailer and arrived after midnight Monday to avoid a sweltering drive through the Central Valley, where temperatures can top 100 degrees.

The bears are acquainted with each other, having been kept in adjacent cages at the Fish and Game facility. Plans are to let them roam together in Samson’s old den, but under close monitoring until one establishes dominance.

Zoo veterinarian Richard Evans said the bears are healthy and that the male was recently neutered. Evans plans to sedate him in a few days for a checkup.

For information about the name-the-bears contest, call (714) 633-2022.