Three orphaned black bear cubs were brought to San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center after being rescued in the County of Calaveras in the central part of the state by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife — one of the cubs was euthanized due to a deformed limb and a bullet that was lodged in her front paw, it was announced Monday.
The cubs, estimated to be around 6 to 7 months old, had been seen wandering in a neighborhood for several days before arriving at the Wildlife Center on July 24. Their mother was never located, according to officials.
A veterinary team with the center performed a health evaluation under anesthesia a week after their discovery, which included dental exams, radiographs and other diagnostics to assess their condition. The team identified their genders as two males and one female.
Veterinarians said that the female cub suffered from a malformed shoulder and elbow, likely caused at birth, as well as a bullet wound. The deformities would have caused her "chronic pain and lifelong mobility issues," they added. After a discussion with the CDFW, the Humane Society's veterinary team decided to "humanely euthanize" her to prevent "prolonged suffering," society officials said.
"This is never a decision we take lightly," Dr. Alexis Wohl said, Wildlife Veterinary Manager at San Diego Humane Society. "But in cases where an animal's quality of life would be severely compromised, humane euthanasia is sometimes the most compassionate option."
The two male cubs were reported healthy and were moved to a large outdoor enclosure designed to emulate their natural habitat. The Humane Society's Project Wildlife team will continue to care for them as they grow stronger and prepare for potential release back into the wild, officials said.
"This is a critical moment for these bears," Autumn Welch said, Wildlife Operations Manager at San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center. "We are doing everything we can to give them the best possible shot at returning to their wild home."
The Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center is the only current facility in the state that accepts black bear cubs for rehabilitation. The Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue and Gold Country Wildlife Rescue were at full capacity and could not receive the cubs.
