Teddy bear doctor comes to Merced Zoo to check out local teddy bears

Kids in Merced brought their teddy bears to Applegate Zoo on Sunday for a full health work-up and x-ray from a teddy bear doctor.

The doctor, Margaret Kohn, checks out their ears and nose and for bear fleas and signs off on their clean bill of health.

The kids really enjoy the seeing the examination, Kohn said, and the parents and grandparents enjoy it just as much.

The event happens every year, said Veronica Mathis, president of the Merced Zoology Society, and it’s something the kids really enjoy.

“They love it,” she said. “They’re so excited because they really believe it. They get excited about their teddy bear getting a clean bill of health.”

Teddy bear day used to be a celebration for the birthday of the two bears who were born at the Merced zoo, said former volunteer Carolyn Vara. Sissy and Bubby lived at Applegate for more than 20 years.

They would make them a cake of healthy bear food, Kohn said, and the kids would parade around the zoo. Now they made the day on St. Patrick”s Day weekend and focus on the teddy bear and any other animal kids want to bring.

“It’s an attraction that’s out of the ordinary,” Kohn said. “It’s one more thing for the kids to participate in at the zoo.”

The two bears living at the zoo now, Missy and Windfall, were rescued from the wild, Vara said.

This story was originally published March 19, 2017 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Teddy bear doctor comes to Merced Zoo to check out local teddy bears."