KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - In honor of National Bear Awareness Week, as declared by Defenders of Wildlife, Knoxville Zoo will host Bear Awareness Day on Saturday, May 10. This event offers a fun and educational experience for the whole family, where kids and adults can learn about bears and enjoy activities from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Knoxville Zoo would like to ask visitors to help with the everyday care of the bears by donating peanut butter, jelly/jam, honey, syrup, molasses, raisins, dried fruits, mixed nuts, fruity cereal, fruit juice, apple juice and spices/herbs/seasonings for the bears.

Enrichment will be given to the bears throughout the day to encourage them to be more active and in areas of the exhibit where visitors can see them best. Zookeepers will be available to discuss and answer questions about black bears. The Appalachian Bear Rescue and Knoxville Zoo's education department will be on hand to answer questions and provide information about the black bears of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, polar bears and global warming. There will be bear materials and activities for the children.

Knoxville Zoo's Black Bear Falls opened September 2000. It is a multi-level exhibit, portraying the feeling of being in the mountains, bringing visitors as close as they should get to a black bear. The three-fourths of an acre, open-air exhibit houses the zoo’s four black bears. The exhibit has been designed to simulate the bears’ mountain habitat with natural-looking trees, flowing streams and tumbling waterfalls. 

When visiting the zoo, take a few minutes to discover the exhibit from three viewing areas. Bears like to relax during the heat of the day and find shade for napping, so visitors often have to look hard to find them. The exhibit is a network of trees and branches, so don't be surprised if one is resting on a branch or playing in one of the three pools.

Black Bear Falls was made possible by a generous gift from the Lucille S. Thompson Family Foundation.

"So many organizations care about the well-being of the bears in our area, together we believe educating families about the bears will create understanding and new love for the animals," said Kevin Hils, director of education at Knoxville Zoo. "Our exhibit allows families to see the beauty and nature of the black bear and we are very proud to have it."

Knoxville Zoo is located off exit 392A from Interstate 40 and is open every day except Christmas Day. The zoo is nationally accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is committed to the highest standards in animal care and well-being, ethics, conservation, and education. Currently, the zoo is open weekdays from 9:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and on weekends from 9:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.  Admission and ticket sales stop one-hour before the zoo closes. Next-day admission is free after 3 p.m. For more information, please call 865.637.5331 ext. 300 or visit www.knoxville-zoo.org.