November 13, 2014
Mariah Timms
News Writer
D.C.
Billie Jean, an 8-year-old Andean bear at the Smithsonian National Zoo, gave birth to two cubs this week. The cubs are one of the only four Andean bear litters born in North America in the last nine years. They are considered a vulnerable species, and only an estimated 2,000 Andean bears remain in the wild. The bears have a high infant mortality rate, but the new D.C. bears are active and vocal, say zookeepers, who are optimistic about their survival. Father Cisco, 21, also resides at the National Zoo. Billie Jean and her cubs are being monitored from a distance to allow the family to bond in peace.
