Woodland Park Zoo’s newest female grizzly bear cub is named after a classic Pacific Northwest plant: Fern.
Fern, named by two longtime donors of the zoo, arrived at the zoo Oct. 3 after her mother was euthanized in Montana by the state’s wildlife officials.
The cub’s mother had a history of visiting a home with unsecured food and killing chickens that were protected by electric fencing. The bear continued to have conflicts with humans, despite being relocated twice and attempts to deter her with rubber bullets and noise-making devices, according to Woodland Park Zoo.
The grizzly cub joins another female grizzly bear cub named Juniper, who was rescued earlier this year from Anchorage, and a 28-year-old male grizzly named Keema from Washington State University’s Bear Center.