Two Orphaned Bear Cubs Are Back in the Wild
Cubs released in Inyo and Tulare Counties, CA, after care at Ramona Wildlife Center.
Two California black bear cubs are back in the wild tonight after spending five months at San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center for care and rehabilitation. A 15 month-old female cub and a 15 month-old male cub were released just two hours apart in Central California’s Inyo and Tulare Counties on Wed., May 24, 2023 by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
The cub who was released in Inyo County arrived at the Ramona Wildlife Center on Dec. 15, 2022 from Bishop. He had been orphaned and reported to be showing habituation to people, which is dangerous for both the bear and the public. It was believed the mother had been struck by a car. The cub who was released in Tulare County arrived Dec. 18, 2022, after she was believed to have been orphaned by the heavy rainstorms, which can flood bear dens. She was rescued by CDFW biologists near Bakersfield after she was found abandoned and thin.
The two cubs were housed in an outdoor enclosure together at the Ramona Wildlife Center, allowing them to exhibit more natural behaviors. They had access to trees, shrubs and natural substrate, as well as opportunities to run, climb, play and forage for food. Project Wildlife’s animal care team intentionally minimized interaction with the bears, so the cubs would not get comfortable around humans. “Their stay with us has to mimic life in the wild, to set them up for success,” said Andy Blue, campus director of San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center. “It’s incredibly important that no one gets any unnecessary access to the bears, because then they might think it is safe to approach humans after they’ve been released.”
Published: May 26, 2023
