Two black bear cubs who were retrieved from Montana earlier this summer will be available for public viewing beginning Sept. 2, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has announced.
Zoo guests may view the two cubs, named Ursula and Yzma, from 9 to 11 a.m. Sept. 2 inside the zoo’s North America Trek, which reopened in June following a $40 million renovation.
The zoo announced that the cubs will be available for public viewing from 9 to 11 a.m. every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Ursula and Yzma each weighed 12 pounds when they were retrieved in Montana, the zoo said. Their mother was euthanized by Montana wildlife agencies because she was deemed a public safety threat, according to the zoo.
Nikki Smith, the North America Trek curator for the Columbus Zoo, traveled to Montana and escorted the two cubs back to Ohio. Both cubs now weigh more than 30 pounds each and regularly participate in enrichment activities and behavioral training, the zoo said.
Ursula was named by two Columbus Zoo donors inspired by mythology and astronomy, according to a Facebook post from the zoo. Her name is a nod to “Ursa Major,” the Great Bear constellation. The name also reflects “the strength, resilience, and symbolism of bears across cultures,” the zoo said.
Yzma was named by the zoo’s care team, and it means “beautiful flower” in the Incan culture of South America, according to the zoo.
“Their unique names (Ursula and Yzma) remind us that misunderstood animals aren’t villains — they’re survivors. It’s a reminder of the importance of coexistence with wildlife,” the zoo said.
The two cubs will rotate with another black bear named Stevie until the trio is ready to meet each other, which will likely be in spring 2026, the zoo said.
(This story was updated to meet our standards.)
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Zoo welcomes 2 black bear cubs from Montana. Here’s when you can visit them
Reporting by Shahid Meighan, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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