Grandfather Mountain bids farewell to Kodiak and Yonnie

Grandfather Mountain officials have bid farewell to two residents they hosted for more than two decades.

Kodiak and Yonnie were both humanely euthanized after age-related complications, including arthritis, according to the attraction that the black bears called home for 27 years after arriving in Linville when they were three months old.

“…From the moment Yonnie was acquired, it was obvious that she would be high-maintenance and feisty,” the online report said. “She attacked Kodiak constantly during the ride to their new home. She was named Yonahlossee after the Cherokee word, meaning “trail of the black bear.”

“Even as an adult, Yonnie was still outspoken and full of attitude, though her attitude softened in her later days, making her calm and sweet. Keepers described her as sensitive and emotional with uniquely expressive eyes.”

The report said the two were constantly together, including playing in the water or out sunbathing. Yonnie also delivered eight cubs while at the preserve that were then released into the wild to help with the black bear population in North Carolina.

Donations are now being accepted in tribute to the bears by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. Those will be used to pay for the care of the park’s on-site animals.

(IMAGE: Property of Grandfather Mountain / Official Facebook)