Appalachian Bear Rescue
Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR) is a black bear rescue facility located just outside of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Townsend, Tennessee. ABR is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that has been returning black bears back to the wild since 1996. Each year black bears from our national parks and surrounding areas are orphaned, injured, or in need of medical care. Thanks to Appalachian Bear Rescue, these bears are given a second chance at life in the wild.
Appalachian Bear Rescue was first formed in 1990 when a group of volunteers formed what was originally known as Appalachian Black Bear Rehabilitation & Release Center, Inc. to help the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park care for the orphaned cubs of the Smokies. Their very first bear was named "Zero". It entered into their facility on July 8, 1996 and was released on September 20, 1996. By 1999, word of ABC’s success led other states to ask for its help. Since then Arkansas, North Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Kentucky and South Carolina have all asked ABC/ABR to help care for their severely malnourished cubs.
Appalachian Bear Rescue cares for orphaned and injured black bear cubs for return to their natural wild habitat; increases public awareness about coexisting with black bears; and studies all aspects of returning cubs to the wild.
Appalachian Bear Rescue’s Work
The following are a couple highlights of the impactful work of Appalachian Bear Rescue. Learn more about the important work that they do to help return orphaned and injured black bear cub back to the wild.
Visitor & Education Center
The Visitor Center is a great place to learn about the work of ABR. For the protection and well-being of the bear cubs, the rescue facility is closed to the public. At the visitor center you can see videos featuring a few of the cubs that Appalachian Bear Rescue has helped since 1999. Come learn about black bears and how you can co-exist with them. Browse through a selection of ABR souvenir items for sale. The visitor center is currently closed until further notice.
Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR) has developed the following programs that can be presented to a school or class. Each of these programs is suitable for K-8 students and families, and times can be adjusted to fit scheduling requirements. All ABR programs are geared toward academic classrooms and correlate with Tennessee Life Science Interdependence Standards regarding mammals, habitat, ecology, and biodiversity.
- Overview of ABR
- A year in the life of a bear
- A cub's life
- If you were a bear
- Amazing bears
- Be bear smart. Be bear safe.
- Be bear aware
- Be a junior bear curator for ABR
- Bear tales
- Meet our neighbor
- How many bears can live in the forest?
Educational Programs
Join us in supporting Appalachian Bear Rescue
75% of this month's donations will go towards this month's partner
This month and every month, Wild Boyz Photography will be partnering with one nonprofit. 75% of any donations that we receive during the month will go to the nonprofit. Help Appalachian Bear Rescue help orphaned and injured bear cubs return to their natural habitat.