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CHRISTINE JENSEN @2008
The orphaned black bear cub cuddles a teddy bear at The Fund for Animals Wildlife Center. |
This time when the phone rang at The Fund for Animals Wildlife Center in Ramona, Calif., it was a call from state officials about an orphaned black bear cub found in the middle of a remote dirt road in neighboring Riverside County.
The area is not known to have bear populations, and the people who saw the little cub crossing the road thought, at first glance, that he was a puppy. It is also unusual to see a cub without his mother. Black bear cubs typically are not weaned until five or six months of age and typically stay with their mother throughout the first full winter. They do not become independent until the second full winter [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service].
Clearly, this cub would not survive for long on his own.
The Cub’s Journey Begins
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CHRISTINE JENSEN @2008
The playful black bear cub is lying on his back. |
State officials requested help in retrieving the cub and ensuring the baby’s safety. Animal technician Kim D’Amico drove to the U.S. Border Patrol station where sheriff deputies were holding the cub. She placed the little bear in a comfy carrier for a safe drive back to the Center.
The baby cub sailed through his veterinary exam; he was hungry and thin (only five pounds)—but healthy. By the next morning the six-week-old bear was content with a tummy full of nutritious “bear food.”
Due to the unusual circumstances of the bear’s discovery in the southwest part of the state, the California Department of Fish and Game officials decided to evaluate the youngster at their facility near Sacramento.
A New Home in Northern California
After observing the cub, the wildlife officials decided that he could not be released into the wild and found him a home at a nearby animal sanctuary. Now the little orphan bear cub will never again be stranded or an easy target for predators or vehicular traffic.
He is out of harm's way and in a safe home environment.
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- The President and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States mentions the black bear cub rescue on his blog.
Posted: May 16, 2008
