Orphaned Bear Cub Raised by Humans In Bear Costumes
Recently the San Diego Humane Society took in the youngest black bear cub the group had ever rescued, an approximately 2-month-old cub that had arrived in April – weak, underweight, and alone.
The cub was found in Los Padres National Forest by campers who alerted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The CDFW biologists first tried to reunite the male cub with his mother but she couldn’t be found, so they brought the little guy to the Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center.
“He was extremely fragile when he arrived,” says Autumn Welch, wildlife operations manager at the 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.”
The rehabbers’ job is tricky because they must administer tender care round the clock, while at the same time remaining as standoffish as possible. The humans do not want the cub to get comfortable around them, as that would jeopardize its survival chances when he’s released into the wild again, scheduled for sometime next spring.
The rehabbers wear bear masks, oversized fur coats, and leather gloves when they interact with the cub. They also rub down their costumes with black-bear-scented hay they picked up from a local sanctuary. The cub needs four feeding sessions every day, along with “enrichment sessions” that mimic maternal behaviors to help prepare the cub for life on the outside.
“This is a very unusual case,” says Welch. “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.”
It’s notable that the rehabbers have not named their young charge; they refer to him as simply the bear or the cub. If the CDFW happens to rescue another cub in the coming months, it will likely try to pair them up, a typical strategy to keep orphaned cubs wild and reduce the risk of imprinting on humans.
San Diego’s Project Wildlife is one of the largest wildlife rehab organizations in the country. Support their work here.
Photo Credit: San Diego Humane Society
