Orphaned black bear cubs find new home at rehabilitation facility in California
RAMONA, Calif. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Three young orphaned black cubs, who are thought to be about six-months-old, recently arrived at a rehabilitation facility in Ramona as it was the only option for the cubs in California.
"We still don't know what happened to mom and at this age they really rely on their mother, they learn everything from here, so it's disheartening to hear when this happens. To hear that it was three, that's a big hit," said Angela Hernandez-Cusick, Wildlife Rehabilitation Supervisor.
After arriving, the malnourished orphaned cubs underwent comprehensive health evaluations. While the two male cubs were deemed in good condition, it was not the case with the female.
"She had malformation in shoulder and there was a bullet wound in her paw, so unfortunately, despite teams best effort, it was decided to humanely euthanize her to not prolong suffering," Hernandez-Cusick expressed.
While it was hard, what they saw from the two remaining cubs was encouraging.
"Even though they'd only been here a few days, you could see snippets of their personality," Hernandez-Cusick remarked.
The cubs were soon moved to the large animal compound, and they're doing great.
"They ran right out of their crates, we're ready to get outside and the found each other quickly. They're climbing, exploring and they're good eaters, happy to see that," Hernandez-Cusick shared.
The bears will spend next few months growing and getting re-acclimated to nature, then it's go time for the bears. Time to go back to the wild.
"Ultimate goal is to release back to wild. We hope to show them as much as possible how it is to be a bear. We'll show then how to exhibit natural behaviors and most important of all stay fearful of humans...you know, it's hard to say goodbye, but it's what we all work for," Hernandez-Cusick spoke.
