Cincinnati Zoo Announces Bear Cub Names Among New Habitat Opening

When it comes to zoos, one thing you can count on is the buzz around baby animals. On Oct. 24, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden announced the names of two of its newest — and youngest — residents: a pair of orphaned American black bear cubs. 

Named Hazel and Juniper, the pair of 8-month-old bear cubs came to the zoo in September after being orphaned in Montana. Since then, they have been living behind the scenes at the zoo, completing health checks and getting adjusted to their new surroundings. The cubs are easy to tell apart, with Hazel sporting a coat of light brown fur, and Juniper with a jet-black coat. Once they were acclimated to the zoo, they had the opportunity to explore the new Bear Ridge habitat, which opened to the public Oct. 24.

“We started introducing them to their outdoor habitat … and were so excited to see them splashing in the waterfall, climbing the rocks, and swinging in their hammock,” said Cincinnati Zoo’s curator of mammals Kim Scott in an Oct. 24, 2025, press release. “Bear Ridge was designed to offer opportunities for its residents to be curious, playful, and restful when they’re tired. Juniper and Hazel did all those things the first time they explored the space.”

Bear Ridge is not only a great habitat for Hazel and Juniper but also offers visitors the chance to see the animals up close. There are multiple viewing areas from different vantage points at Bear Ridge, while signs and interpreters educate about the species and our connection to them as fellow residents of North America. 

At the top of Bear Ridge, an Adventure Trail lets visitors spot animal statues hidden in nooks and crannies and cross over a rope bridge meant to simulate the experience of hiking in our national parks. The trail creates an immersive experience, with surrounding pine trees, a cave where visitors can walk over to see the bears on the main viewing level and a lower level that passes under the trunk of a redwood. 

For more information about Hazel and Juniper or the new Bear Ridge at Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, visit cincinnatizoo.org.

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