This robust little cub was found wandering alone in the woods of San Diego County. Today, it is undergoing specialized treatment at the Ramona Wildlife Center. On April 12, that cub was found by campers. Wildlife officials immediately moved to action, transferring the animal to the center two days later. When the bear finally came on board, it was just 3 pounds. It was evidently severely debilitated, probably from being several days without food or water.
The Ramona Wildlife Center is the only facility in San Diego County large enough and specially permitted to rehabilitate such native apex predators as black bears. Since then, the couple has been caring for the cub, 24 hours a day. Autumn Welch, the center’s wildlife operations manager, emphasized the bear’s extremely poor start.
“The cub is thriving here. When he first arrived, he was only 3lbs and was a little debilitated, probably from going multiple days without any kind of nutrition or hydration,” – Autumn Welch
In just a month’s time, it’s incredible how far the cub has come. It has soared to over four times that size, now weighing over 12 pounds. The dedicated staff at the center have worked tirelessly over the years to support its recovery. Welch emphasized that the bear’s story is an important part of an exciting overall rehabilitation plan. This strategy is designed to help the bear transition when it is released back into the wild.
“At that point, they’ve grown quite a bit,” – Autumn Welch
The young bear will live at the center for about a year. Plans still leave near-final versions of it coming late spring or early summer of next year. First, the bear will be fitted with a GPS collar to allow researchers to monitor its movements after it’s released. This high-tech device will allow government biologists to track its movements and behavior over one full year in its natural habitat.
“They’re usually around 130 to 150lbs and they get fitted with the GPS collar because the government biologists track them and see where their movements are and what they’re doing for a whole year after release,” – Autumn Welch
Raising the bear takes an incredible commitment of time and very specialized expertise. It requires significant funding, something state sources do not provide. Share what you know and spark a discussion. The center depends on donations and community support to keep doing its important work.
Welch stressed the importance of minimizing human contact during the cub’s rearing. This proactive approach reduces the chance of dangerous bear-human interactions before they occur. As cities sprawl into bear territory, these confrontations are on the rise.
“As we continue to develop in the areas they live, they’re always being pushed into areas where people may have some type of conflict with them,” – Autumn Welch
The team at the Ramona Wildlife Center works hard to provide a wild atmosphere for the new cub. Rather than focusing on containment and punishment, they focus on fostering natural instincts and behaviors. Simultaneously, they avoid doing the hard work of establishing connections between people and nourishment or security.
“The more we can keep this cub wild and keep him from recognizing humans as the providers of anything good, we’re hoping every time we go in there, he’s seeing us as other bears and being able to identify with us as bears instead of humans,” – Autumn Welch
Wildlife officials say this case just doesn’t happen. It is very unusual to see this kind of young bear, alone, without its mother.
“We don’t often see bears this young without their mother,” – Autumn Welch