Murphy Makes a New Home at ZooAmerica

I think Zoos are amazing places. They provide people the opportunity to see animals close up and personal and share the messages of conservation and animal welfare. I know I have learned so much from the zoos I have visited, so much more than I could ever learn from just reading a book or watching a program on television.

At ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park in Hershey, PA almost every animal would not be able to survive in the wild. Often animals are found injured in the wild and they are taken to wildlife rehabilitators. These rehabilitators provide medical care for the animals but because the animal is injured and has been handled by humans, it would not be safe to release that animal back into the wild.

These animals need to find new homes. ZooAmerica has become that new home for numerous animals for a variety of reasons.

Murphy, a cinnamon phase black bear, is the most recent animal to make a new home at ZooAmerica.

Murphy arrived from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks where he was placed after becoming dependent on being fed by humans in southwestern Montana. Since Murphy became so accustomed to people, he could not be safely released into the wild.

Through ZooAmerica’s affiliation and partnership with Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), Murphy came to Hershey. He arrived in March 2016 weighing approximately 80 pounds and he is now nearly 145 pounds.

A cinnamon phase black bear is a color phase of the black bear and the smallest species of bear in North America. Cinnamon bears get their name from the rusty brown color of their fur.

This description is accurate but it I had a difficult time visualizing what Murphy looked like. Then I visited ZooAmerica and saw him in person. Then I “got” it. Plus it was so much fun for me to see Murphy play and move around in his new home.

For more happenings and photos, please connect to our branded social media channels. Facebook.com/ZooAmerica and @ZooAmerica on Instagram.