An orphaned cub is gaining strength at the San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center after being rescued by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in Early December.
The roughly 7-month-old cub was rescued by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in Bishop, Ca on Dec. 15 and transferred to the SDHAS’s Project Wildlife program for care. The cub had been reported showing habituation to people in the Bishop area prior to its rescue.
According to Project Wildlife’s caretakers the cub weighs approximately 30 lbs and appears in good health. The club is eating a diet of eggs, honey, grasses, walnuts, gruel, and fish.
“This little bear is very active and eating well.” said Andy Blue, campus director of San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center “It is our goal to get them stronger and keep them healthy for at least three months, so they can return to the wild where they belong.”
Project wildlife’s veterinary medical team has performed a visual exam on the cubv and will schedule a full exam under anesthesia early in the new year to determine the gender of the bear, do blood work, a dental check and x-rays.
Officials say the plan is to move the bear to a learger pre-release enclosure outdoors in the near futures so it can become acclimated to the environment. Typically bear cubs would stay with their mother for about two years. While at the Ramona Wildlife Center, the Project Wildlife team works hard to minimize human contact with their patients, to reduce their risk of habitation or food conditioning, and increase their chance of survival in the wild.
There are now a total of four California black bear cubs at San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center.
The three other cubs arrived separately in July and will be released back into the wild next spring.
