The picture above shows a zookeeper consoling a female bear in the cage after it ate her cubs due to being frightened.
According to reports from Hefei Evening News on February 1, a zookeeper consoled a downbeat female bear inside its cage at the Tianjing Lake Park Zoo. The male bear next to the zookeeper also seemed sad.
As introduced by the zookeepers, shortly before the Spring Festival this year, two female Northeast Black Bears and one male at the Tianjing Lake Zoo gave birth. Each of the female bears delivered a pair of baby bears and then stayed inside their dens without coming out. Whenever the staff heard the cries of the baby bears, they were filled with joy. In order not to disturb the mother bears, the zookeepers quietly placed food at the cave entrance every day and then tiptoed away, fearing that the mother bears might get startled.
It is possible that there were too many firecrackers set off on New Year's Eve. On the first day of the New Year, the cries of the baby bears became significantly less. On the second day, a dazed female bear walked out of the den. The zookeepers immediately realized something was wrong. Their greatest fear had come true - the frightened mother bear had eaten her cubs. Generally speaking, Northeast Black Bears are relatively gentle, but when the mother bear has just given birth and gets startled, she often exhibits the unexpected behavior of eating her cubs. This has happened in multiple zoos across the country. Since the Tianjing Lake Zoo currently does not have the conditions for artificial feeding of bear cubs, another mother bear and her two cubs remain inside the den. If everything goes smoothly, the mother bear and her cubs may leave the den around February 16, after the full moon, to meet the tourists.
The zookeepers appeal to the public to avoid setting off loud fireworks in the near future, especially in and around the Tianjing Lake Park area. Additionally, visitors to the zoo should try not to make loud noises, so as to prevent another tragedy where a startled mother bear eats her cubs.
(By Guo Shinin, with text and photo)