Lady is graduating!
In case you haven’t heard — Lady is graduating!
Yes, Baylor’s beloved American black bear is preparing to move on — in this case, from her campus habitat to a new home off-campus (located on the enrichment site she and her sister, Joy, have enjoyed for years). There, she’ll continue to be taken care of by her Baylor Bear Habitat caregivers, staff and veterinary team.
Her new home — expected to be ready by midsummer — includes native trees for shade, a wading pool, heated flooring for cold weather, and a cooling system for the summer heat. She will continue to receive daily enrichment and medical treatment to help ensure comfort and free movement into her senior years. This is a new step for Baylor, as the university has committed to caring for her for her full lifetime. (Previous live bears were typically retired into the care of other organizations.)
Baylor students gathered earlier this month to send Lady off with her own graduation party — complete with snacks, photo opportunities, and a banner seniors signed that will hang in the Williams Bear Habitat through graduation weekend.
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Baylor is working on next steps for the live bear program — specifically, plans to welcome new bear cubs into the Baylor Family. Stay tuned for details on that!
Sic ’em, Lady!
[Interested in helping support the work of the Bear Habitat? Gifts of any amount can be made directly to the program by clicking here.]