Kodiak Bears Munsey & Boda Will be Six
OnFocus -Wildwood Zoo’s popular Kodiak bears Munsey and Boda will be celebrating their sixth birthday on February 21.
In 2015, Munsey and Boda were rescued as weeks-old cubs on Kodiak Island, Alaska after their mother was shot by an unguided hunter. In 2017, zookeeper Steve Burns had the opportunity to see the bears’ birthplace (read more here).
They were later named for their rescuers, hunting guide Mike Munsey and Kodiak Wildlife Biologist Nate Svoboda. The bears’ sibling, Dodge, resides at Toledo Zoo in Ohio with two grizzly bears.
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Munsey and Boda are much bigger today than when they were pulled from a muddy den and carried away in a pack to food and safety, now weighing approximately 1,000 pounds and stretching to roughly 9 feet on their hind legs!
Kodiak bears typically reach their adult size around six years of age, at which point they are likely to continue to gain weight throughout their lifetime.
The bears’ favorite foods include avocados, papaya, whole coconuts, all types of nuts, and the bakery items they get for special occasions. The brothers spend most of their time together, whether they’re stretching out in the sun, climbing logs, or wrestling in the pond.
Kodiak Bear Q&A Fun Facts with Zookeeper Steve Burns:
- How much do they each weigh? Boda about 1300, Munsey about 1100 lbs
- Are they now full grown? They are pretty close to full grown in terms of their height or skeletal size but they will continue to gain weight. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Boda reach 2,000lbs some day.
- What do they eat every day? The bears diet varies throughout the winter months. Keepers are constantly adjusting food types and quantities to suit the bears changing preferences. A typical diet in winter consists of around 7 lbs of raw meat 6-8 gallons of produce and 2-3 gallons of bear chow each per day.
- Any other fun facts now that they are almost 6? With spring approaching we are coming into typical breeding season for brown bears. Even though Munsey and Boda don’t have mating opportunities available they still sometimes display some restless and agitated behavior during the spring time. Breeding season and changes in their metabolic rates from winter to spring/summer levels can lead to increased incidence of pacing or other agitated behaviors.
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Author: News Desk
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