On Monday, July 6, 2009, the Wildlife Center of Virginia admitted a small Black Bear cub from Rappahannock County.  This bear had spent [more or less] three days up in a mulberry tree at Eldon Farms and had eluded rescuers.  He was ultimately captured on the afternoon of Sunday, July 5 with the assistance of a Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Conservation Police Officer and an animal control officer from Rappahannock County.  Licensed wildlife rehabiliator Amo Merritt took the cub overnight, and the bear was transported to the Wildlife Center of Virginia on Monday morning.

Upon admission, the bear received a complete physical exam.  The bear — a male — was slightly emaciated, dehydrated, and full of ticks but had no other apparent major health issues.  The cub weighed in at 2.3 kgs — about 4.9 pounds.  According to Dr. Dave McRuer, the Center’s Director of Veterinary Medicine, “The cub was VERY active during his physical exam and certainly did not appreciate being handled.” The Center veterinary staff removed the ticks, administered fluids, and fed the cub a mixture of soft fruits and vegetables, moistened dog chow, and baby food.

The bear was assigned patient number #09-1503, indicating that this cub is the 1,503rd patient admitted to the Wildlife Center during 2009.

 

The bear cub was taken up to the Center’s special bear pen — an isolated cinderblock building designed for the care and feeding of Black Bears.  For the time being, #09-1503 is in his own enclosure.  His pen adjoins the pen currently occupied by Bear Cub #09-1227, another male, admitted to the Center on June 17 from Highland County.  This cub’s mother and a sibling were struck and killed by a car.  At this point, #09-1227 is larger than the Rappahannock cub; at admission, the cub weighted 3.47 kgs [7.6 lbs] and now weighs 5.4 kgs [11.9 pounds].  Once Center vets determine that both cubs are disease- and parasite-free, and after a period of adjustment, it’s likely that the two cubs will be housed together.   

Wildlife Rehabilitator Dani Stumbo and the Center veterinary team uncrating #09-1227

Bear cub #09-1503 was one of 15 patients admitted to the Wildlife Center on July 6.  Other patients admitted that day [in order] were a Red-tailed Hawk, a Northern Mockingbird, a mother Virginia Opossum and seven babies, a Raccoon, a Mourning Dove, a Bald Eagle, and an American Robin. 

These bear cubs are among the 170 animals currently being treated at the Wildlife Center.

UPDATE July 8

After his initial physical examination, #09-1503 was moved up to the Center’s bear building and placed in Pen #1 [one of three].  Each pen has a large room [about 12 feet x 8 feet], along with a separate den [about 4 x 8 feet], with a lowered ceiling.  Each pen has openings for light and air circulation; the building has an elevated fiberglass roof.  Most bears tend to spend most of their time in the smaller dens.

Bear cub #09-1227 was housed separately in the Pen #2 — in the middle of the building.  With the latest lab tests giving both bears a clean bill of health, the internal passageway connecting Pens #1 and #2 was opened during the morning of July 8, allowing these two bear cubs to move freely, and together, within these two enclosures.    By late morning, the cubs were staying in their respective pens, but the rehabilitation staff would expect them to begin to explore soon.

Food.  The bears are each given a large dog-dish FULL of food each day.  As a younger bear, the food given to #09-1503 is somewhat softer — a mixture of soft fruits, vegetables, moistened dog chow, baby food, and peanut butter.  The food for #09-1227 is similar … but a bit crunchier.

On his first night at the Wildlife Center, #09-1503 ate about half of the food offered to him.  On Tuesday, July 7, he ate about one-quarter of the food presented.  The weights of BOTH bears will be checked this weekend.

Center Wildlife Rehabilitator Suzy Doell mugging with food dish for #09-1227

UPDATE July 10

Wildlife rehabilitators Suzy Doell and Tracy Marshall took food up to the bears’ pens this morning.  The dish of the larger cub [09-1227] — yesterday’s meal — was empty; the dish of the smaller cub [09-1503] was about half empty.  The smaller bear generally seemed to be more at ease with his surroundings.

We’re still not sure how much the cubs have interacted. [As noted above, on Wednesday, a low doorway connecting their two pens was opened up.]  There’s a small threshold in that doorway; this morning the larger cub [09-1227] was observed sitting at the threshold, looking into 09-1503’s pen while 1503 was eating. 

UPDATE July 13

Over the weekend, the two bear cubs were examined and weighed.  Bear cub #09-1227 now weighs 8.2 kgs — about 18 pounds .  Bear cub #09-1503 weighed in at 3.2 kgs — about 7 pounds.  According to the Center rehabilitation staff, both bears are eating well; both bears are now on a “hard food” diet — including vegetables, fruits, a few nuts, and dog chow.

At this point, it appears that the two cubs are still largely sticking to their own pens.   Center rehabbers watched as 09-1227 started to cross the threshold into 09-1503’s pen.  However, the larger cub did an about-face in response to  a a warning growl from his much smaller pen-mate.   

UPDATE July 15

“What do you feed the bear cubs?”

Here’s a recipe provided by Suzy Doell, Center Wildlife Rehabilitator who honed her culinary skills at The Little Grill in Harrisonburg.

Bear Casserole a la Suzy

10 strawberries
15 blackberries
30 blueberries
3 broccoli florets
1 whole cucumber
10 baby carrots
3 tbsps peanut butter
10 crickets
1 can tuna
3 cups dog food
1 corn on the cob
5 acorns
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup birdseed

Mix until roughly blended.  To serve, scatter around pen.  Prepared twice a day for each bear cub. 

This is a forgiving recipe.  Ingredients vary from day to day, based on availability in the Wildlife Center’s clinic kitchen.

UPDATE July 16

Wildlife Rehablitator Suzy Doell reports that the two cubs have now been seen together … they both retreated back into the same den when she went into the pens this morning.

UPDATE July 23

Amanda Nicholson, the Rehabilitation Supervisor, reports that the bears are now being fed once a day, through a feeding tube built into each pen.  As Amanda reports, “they’ve moved from the 2 bowls twice a day to BUCKETS of food in the a.m.”

Latest weights:

#09-1227 — 10.33 kg  [22.7 pounds]

#09-1503 — 4.91 kg [10.8 pounds]

And the rehab staff reports that the two bears were spotted cuddled up together in one of their dens. 

UPDATE: July 24

The Culpeper Star-Exponent did a front-page story about the Rappahannock Bear Cub, along with a sidebar about the bear population in Virginia. 

 

The Wildlife Center of Virginia relies on contributions from caring individuals for the funds needed to care for these two Black Bear cubs — and the more than 2,000 other animals we’ll treat during 2009. 

Contributions to the Wildlife Center may be made online through PayPal.  [You don't have to have a PayPal account ... a regular credit card will work just fine.]   

Or call the Wildlife Center at 540.942.9453 — the front desk is staffed seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m..