SALISBURY, MD -- Salisbury's Andean Bear, Pinocchio, has officially arrived for a stay at the Nashville Zoo.
Pinocchio was sent as part of an effort to increase the population of the endangered species. Pairing with the Nashville Zoo's female bear.
Pinocchio will have a minimum two week quarantine period for the zoo to acclimate him to the environment and run a series of health and behavioral tests.
After that, he will be introduced to the female bear, although they are not expected to breed within the year -- as the bears have a mating season.
Cinnamon Williams, the mammal curator for the Nashville Zoo says it will make some time.
“This year we might not get cubs, because we're late in the season, but we’ll go ahead and introduce them and get them to know each other, more of a courting process for bears is what we’re doing.”
There is no set time table on when the bear will return to Salisbury.
