RAMONA, Calif. (KGTV) — A bear cub with burned paws that approached firefighters battling the Dixie Fire in Plumas County is now being treated at San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center.
The cub, a 7-month-old male, was found on Aug. 31 on Grizzly Ridge in Plumas National Forest and taken to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Wildlife Health Lab in Rancho Cordova.
After being treated for minor burns to his pads, the cub arrived at Ramona on Sept. 10 to be cared for until he's old enough to be reintroduced into the wild. There, he will be housed with a group of three orphaned bear siblings who arrived on Sept. 22. The three siblings were found by CDFW in Mariposa after a sow was found killed nearby.
RELATED:
- Pair of blind kittens in Chula Vista in need of loving owners, new home
- Bear cubs brought to San Diego Humane's Ramona campus after getting too close to people
The four cubs will spend time indoors getting to know one another before SDHS staff move them to a larger, outdoor area.
In total, SDHS is now taking care of six bear cubs. In August, two siblings were brought to the humane society after they were captured in the Three Rivers area. The sibling cubs were without a mother and seen getting too close to nearby residents, some of whom were feeding them.
"We are incredibly proud to be a part of the rehabilitation efforts of six orphaned bear cubs at the Ramona Wildlife Center," said Christine Barton, director of operations & wildlife rehabilitation at San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Campus. "This year has been extremely hard on our wildlife as wildfires continue to devastate our forests and the areas that bears and other animals call home. I think more of us will be called on to help provide a safe haven for these displaced animals as we face these challenging times together."
