After 30 days in care of San Diego Humane Society's Project Wildlife team, a 2-month-old black bear cub is stable and thriving, it was announced Wednesday.
The cub was found April 12 by campers in Los Padres National Forest. California Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists tried to reunite the cub with his mother by returning him to the wild overnight, but she did not return. With no signs of mom in the area, CDFW transported the cub to SDHS's Ramona Wildlife Center on April 14.
He is the youngest black bear cub the organization has ever cared for.
"He was extremely fragile when he arrived," said Autumn Welch, wildlife operations manager at the Ramona Wildlife Center. "After going several days without nutrition, it was touch-and-go at first. But now, he's active, eating well and gaining weight steadily."
According to the organization, the cub will likely need to remain in care for up to a year due to his age and condition. SDHS hopes to ultimately return him to the wild, and if another cub enters care elsewhere in California, CDFW may try to pair them in an attempt to keep orphaned cubs wild and reduce the risk of imprinting on humans.
Fish and Wildlife said this is only the fourth bear cub this young in the past five years who has come into rehab care in California. He receives four enrichment and feeding sessions each day, with overnight feedings required in his early days to help stabilize him. Enrichment sessions mimic maternal behaviors and help prepare the cub for life in the wild, a SDHS statement reads.
"This is a very unusual case," Welch said. "We don't often see bears this young without their mother. It's an honor to care for him, but it's also a significant commitment. We rely entirely on donations to make this kind of specialized care possible."
The Ramona Wildlife Center is the only facility in San Diego County permitted to rehabilitate native apex predators like black bears, mountain lions and bobcats.
To learn more or donate, visit sdhumane.org/wildlife.
