Zoo officials prepare for grizzly exams

The Oklahoma City Zoo says, two of it's beloved grizzly bears are set to undergo scheduled wellness exams.

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - The Oklahoma City Zoo says two of it's beloved grizzly bears are set to undergo scheduled wellness exams.

The grizzly bear is a North American subspecies of the brown bear and currently protected in the continental United States under the Endangered Species Act. They get their name from their white-tipped or grizzled fur. Grizzlies are powerful apex predators but they are also opportunistic eaters with much of their diet consisting of nuts, berries, fruits, fish and rodents, according to the OKC Zoo.

Zoo officials say, OKC Zoo’s grizzly bear brothers, Will and Wiley, are getting a check-up from the Zoo’s veterinary care team in performing routine wellness exams on bears, Will and Wiley, 21, to ensure they are in good health.

Both grizzlies undergo full-body checkups every 3 years. The bears will be anesthetized before arriving at the hospital and asleep throughout their checkups, says Zoo officials.

The veterinary care team will examine the bears in the Zoo’s Joan Kirkpatrick Animal Hospital. Guests are welcome to watch the exams from the public viewing windows at the hospital but space is limited on Wednesday, May 1, beginning at approximately 10:30 a.m.

The Zoo confirms, the examination will be hosted on Facebook and Instagram lives of the first bear exam. The "live" feed will begin around 10:30 a.m. and guests are encouraged to tune in to watch and ask questions of our amazing vet team.

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