Orphaned bear cubs find new home at Ramona Wildlife Center
(FOX 5/KUSI) -- A pair of orphaned black bear cubs is getting a new lease on life, thanks to the San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center.
Three cubs, around 6 to 7 months old, were initially rescued in Calaveras County, just southeast of Sacramento, by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The trio had been seen wandering the neighborhood alone for days, the agency said. The mother of the cubs was never seen or located.
On July 24, the three cubs were taken down to Southern California to the Ramona Wildlife Center to undergo evaluations and eventually be rehabilitated back into the wild. The center is currently the only facility in California that is able to accept black bears for rehabilitation due to other centers being at capacity.
A week after the cubs were admitted to the center, they underwent comprehensive health evaluations under anesthesia, according to the San Diego Humane Society. During the examination, the veterinary team at Project Wildlife confirmed that two of the cubs were male and the third was a female.
Unfortunately, the evaluation showed that the female cub had a malformed shoulder and elbow, which the veterinary crew determined to be congenital. It was also discovered that she had a bullet embedded in her front paw.
The veterinary team made the decision to humanely euthanize the female cub as the deformities would have caused her chronic pain and lifelong mobility issues.
“This is never a decision we take lightly,” said Dr. Alexis Wohl, 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 deemed healthy and moved to a large outdoor enclosure that mimics their natural habitat. The Project Wildlife team will care for the cubs as they grow and prepare them to be released back into the wild. The crew will work closely with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to help determine when the cubs are rehabilitated enough to be released.
It is important to note that the San Diego Humane Society does not receive state funding for its wildlife work and relies solely on donations to support its efforts.
Furthermore, the Ramona Wildlife Center is the only facility in San Diego that is permitted to rehabilitate native apex predators, such as black bears, bobcats and mountain lions.
