Black Bear cub #16-0487

Admission Date: 
April 30, 2016
Release Date: 
June 29, 2017
Location of Rescue: 
Greene County, Virginia
Cause of Admission / Condition: 
Separated from mother
Patient Status: 
Patient Archive
Released

On April 30, a female Black Bear cub was admitted to the Center after she was found in Greene County, Virginia. A citizen found the cub in his pasture, and at first thought the small bear as a cat; when he realized it was a cub, he placed her in a cat carrier and called the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. The DGIF officer who picked up the cub believes the bear was likely displaced by the nearby Rocky Mount fire in Shenandoah National Park.

Upon admission, Dr. Dana examined the cub and found her to be very thin, dehydrated, and infested with fleas and ticks. Blood work revealed mild anemia, but no significant injuries were found. Dr. Dana gave the bear fluids, an anti-parasitic medication, and treated the bear with a topical anti-parasitic as well. The cub weighed 1.73 kg.

Dr. Dana discussed the cub’s condition with VDGIF Black Bear Project Leader Jaime Sajecki. Because the cub was admitted in very thin body condition and needs extra care, and because Jaime doesn’t have an appropriate surrogate bear at Virginia Tech with which to match the cub, the bear cub will remain at the Wildlife Center for the year. Dr. Dana placed a white identification tag in the bear’s ear.

The rehabilitation staff have been bottle-feeding the bear three times a day. Bottle-feeding has been challenging, since the bear is shy and appropriately afraid of humans at this point, though the cub is willing to eat out of a mush bowl during most feedings.

Your special donation will help the Center to provide care to this Black Bear cub ... and to the 2,400 sick, injured, and orphaned wild animals the Center will treat this year.

Updates

May 17, 2016

Black Bear cub #16-0487 (White Tag) has been doing well during the past two weeks at the Wildlife Center; the cub has been drinking some formula from a bottle, but prefers to eat her thickened formula out of a mush bowl. The cub currently weighs 3.14 kg.

On May 12, White Tag was introduced to her new brother, Black Bear cub #16-0598. The two cubs have been getting along well. Here’s a video of White Tag before she was introduced to the other cub.


 

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