A bear cub recently rescued from a Tucson neighborhood has found a new home at Bearizona Wildlife Park in Williams.
The small cub has been named Buddy after the main character in the Christmas film, Elf.
Buddy’s small size has stumped wildlife officials. He was only 15 pounds when he was found, which the Arizona Game and Fish Department says is more typical of a bear about 4 or 5 months old. Buddy should be closer to 70 pounds at a little less than a year old.
They also wonder how the bear found his way off the Catalina Mountains.
The park speculates that Buddy was likely illegally fed by a human because he is unusually comfortable with people. Bearizona says he wasn’t euthanized due to his friendly behavior, which is not usually what happens to a bear in this situation. They offered a reminder that a “fed bear is a dead bear.”
Buddy has since passed his veterinary checkup and will be ready to meet visitors on Dec. 29.