THE AGE OF ISHŪNG DAWNS: Sequoia Park Zoo's New Chonky Black Bear is Ready for Viewing and Reportedly Has the Zoomies

THE AGE OF ISHŪNG DAWNS: Sequoia Park Zoo’s New Chonky Black Bear is Ready for Viewing and Reportedly Has the Zoomies

Above: Today the Sequoia Park Zoo released some cute video of Ishŭng that didn’t have any audio. So we added some.

Y’all have been very patient. Now it is time.

Earlier today the Sequoia Park Zoo announced that Ishŭng — their new, photogenic black bear — has completed her quarantine and is ready for her closeup. Today she is exploring her new digs and negotiating cohabitating terms with new roomie Tule. There’s still lots of adjusting to do so, if you visit Ishŭng, the zoo requests that you not make a ruckus. Reasonable.

Read the full report on Ishŭng’s debut from the Sequoia Park Zoo below:

Ishŭng the black bear has ventured into the front yard of the bear habitat!
Day one. What have we learned so far? She’s excellent at soccer. She is a fan of wrestling with the massive weeble toy. Grass munching appears to be a new hobby. And though the durations are short, she took advantage of the big, open space for multiple bouts of the zoomies.
Ishŭng is still getting to know her new home. When visiting, please use quiet voices and calm movements around her space. She has options for being outside or inside and may not always be visible. So far, she has been spending time playing and exploring outside and then resting inside.
She completed her quarantine period and has started the “introduction” process of getting to know Tule. For now, they will not be occupying the same physical space. There is no specific date that they will be physically together, as animal care staff will pace the process based entirely on the bears’ behaviors and comfort level. However, over the next few days, Ishŭng will have access to the front yard, and Tule will have access to the back yard. They can see and smell each other, and they are paying close attention to what the other bear is doing. Tule has been spying on Ishŭng from up in the trees, whereas Ishŭng needs to continue developing her climbing muscles. Staff have already seen an increase in her skills thanks to her physical bear-apy program behind the scenes. Now, with all of these new opportunities, she can further develop her skills!
Both Ishŭng and Tule are nonreleaseable black bears that were placed at the Sequoia Park Zoo by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Sequoia Park Zoo is honored to provide homes for bears that cannot be returned to the wild. The Bear and Coyote habitat at Sequoia Park Zoo opened in 2023 with generous funding from the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria.