RAMONA, Calif. (KGTV) — The three orphaned black bear cubs, transferred to San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center for rehabilitation about a month ago, have passed their health exam.
The first two cubs -- who arrived July 9 and 12 -- are siblings around six months old.
According to Fish and Wildlife, they became orphaned after their mother, who was conditioned to seek food from humans, was killed by a person while attempting to break into a cabin in Valley of the Falls.
The third, unrelated cub arrived on July 15. The cub's mother is believed to have been hit by a car near Lake Arrowhead.
“The single female cub, who is actually much bigger than the two siblings, was rather shy and quiet in the beginning,” said Dr. Jon Enyart, Senior Director of Project Wildlife. “It took some time for the brother and sister to invite her into their family, but now they do everything together.”
The Wildlife team kept the cubs separate for 48 hours, before placing them together in an indoor and outdoor enclosure.
"The move outdoors is significant in the cubs’ preparation to return to the wild, because they are given access to trees, shrubs and natural substrate. They also get acclimated to the weather," said SDHS.
On August 4, the Project Wildlife veterinary team anesthetized all three bears for their first physical exam, which included blood work, radiographs, a dental check, and ameasuring their paw pads, body length and width, SDHS said.
The bears were also microchipped. The veterinary team found all three bears were in excellent health. After they woke up, the bear cubs were moved to a full outside enclosure for the first time.
The Project Wildlife team works to reduce human contact with the cubs, to reduce their risk of habitation or food conditioning, and increase their chance of survival in the wild.
