Meet Delilah, Our Black Bear

Delilah lived with Blossom at the Little River Zoo in Norman, Oklahoma. They were the lone residents left at the zoo, following the closure of the zoo in 2011 due to continuing financial woes. Faced with money problems, zoo officials tried to maintain their standards of care while finding homes for their 240 animals. But sadly for Delilah and Blossom, their diet was neglected, as were the grounds where they were kept. After several months of fruitless searching, officials still had not found a home for the two ill-nourished black bears. The situation was so desperate that negotiations had begun with a "big game" ranch where the bears could be hunted and killed for a price.

After hearing about Delilah and Blossom, Bobbi began working with the zoo to load and transport both bears to Lions Tigers & Bears. At that time, Lions Tigers & Bears was in the midst of constructing a new bear habitat for its first rescued bear - Liberty. As construction continued on the bear habitat, Lions Tigers & Bears began making modifications to a new trailer that could handle the trip to Oklahoma and bring both bears back to Lions Tigers & Bears safely. New equipment was needed, such as air conditioners and transport crates that would make their long drive a much healthier ride. Bobbi's dad worked tirelessly installing the air conditioning on the trailer, installing a new generator and new circuit breakers, helping to build the crates and installing new vents for air conditioning on top of trailer.

Prior to the trailer's completion, Bobbi learned that a heat wave had hit the mid-section of the country, so she immediately flew to Oklahoma to check on the bears' situation and their health. She found the bears to be in moderate health, a little overweight from the unusual diet they had been fed, but otherwise faring well. Lions Tigers & Bears then hired an Oklahoma veterinarian to examine the bears and verify that they were healthy enough to make the long journey to San Diego.