Black Bear cub #16-1813

Admission Date: 
August 9, 2016
Release Date: 
April 13, 2017
Location of Rescue: 
Alleghany County, VA
Cause of Admission / Condition: 
Hit by vehicle
Patient Status: 
Patient Archive
Released

On the night of August 8, a small female bear cub was hit by a car in Alleghany County, Virginia. The bear was taken to a permitted wildlife rehabilitator in the area where she was stabilized; VDGIF Black Bear Project Leader Jaime Sajecki transported the cub to the Wildlife Center the following day.

Dr. Ernesto examined the cub upon admission. Due to the bear's small size, Dr. Ernesto was able to manually capture and restrain the bear before anesthetizing the cub for a physical examination. The cub was dehydrated and Dr. Ernesto was able to hear mild crackles in the bear's lungs, indicating some mild internal trauma which was confirmed on radiographs. Jaime noted that the cub was smaller than what she would expect to see at this time of year; it's possible that this cub was separated from her mother for a period of time before her injury. The cub weighed 8.7 kg.

Blood was drawn for analysis and the bear received subcutaneous fluids for the dehydration. If the blood work is within normal limits, the cub will spend the next day inside the Center's hospital for additional fluids and monitoring before being moved to yard #2 with the seven other bear cubs in the Black Bear Complex.

Your special donation will help the Center to provide care to this young Black Bear cub ... and to the 2,500 sick, injured, and orphaned wild animals the Center will treat this year. 

Updates

April 13, 2017

On the morning of April 13, six bears were successfully darted and loaded into VDGIF transport traps for release!

The first group of bears included Yellow/Green Tags [#16-1874], Red/Green Tags [#16-2441], and No Tags [#16-0598]. The second release group included Double Red Tags [#17-1441], Pink Tag {#16-1654], and Pink/White Tags [#16-1813]. The bears were re-tagged with Double Green ear tags prior to release.

A third biologist who was coming to pick up another three bears was called away on an emergency; the release of Yellow Tag, Pink/Green Tags, and Double Pink Tags will be rescheduled.

The remaining bears -- White Tag, Red Tag, Orange Tag, and Green Tag -- are being treated for their hair loss. So far, the bears have been negative for mange, but the veterinary team is treating them with an anti-parasitic just to be on the safe side.

View more release photos here: 

Releasing the Black Bears of 2016: Day #1

 

October 28, 2016

On Friday, October 28, Black Bear cub #16-1813 will be darted and sedated for a move to the Black Bear Complex. The bear will be tagged with white and pink ear tags (one in each ear) and will spend the next 24 hours in the transition area of yard #2. On Saturday, the gate will be opened and the bear will be allowed to mingle with the other 10 cubs in the yard.

September 14, 2016

Thursday, September 15 is moving day for several bear cubs! In the morning, the rehabilitation team will set two large live traps to attempt to catch the cubs in the Large Mammal Isolation enclosure. Most will move to the Black Bear Complex after an examination from Drs. Ernesto and Peach. On deck to move:

Bear cub #16-1442 [Green Tag] -- recovered from a rectal prolapse and subsequent surgery in August
Bear cub #16-1443 [Orange Tag] -- recovered from a rectal prolapse
Bear cub #16-1654 [Pink Tag] -- recovered from a broken jaw 
Bear cub #16-1713 [Double Pink Tag] -- recovered from a broken elbow 
Bear cub #16-1874 [Green/Yellow Tags] -- behavioral issues, kept illegally.

Bear cub #16-1813 will stay behind to be a friend for Bear cub #16-2023, who will be moved to the small connecting chute of the Large Mammal Isolation enclosure after the other bears are moved.

August 30, 2016

Black Bear cubs #16-1654 [Pink Tag] and #16-1813 have been doing well in the Large Mammal Isolation enclosure during the past few weeks. Pink Tag has recovered well from her jaw fracture and appears to be fully healed. On Thursday, the two cubs will gain additional roommates -- neighbor #16-1713 [Double Pink Tag] will be introduced, and it's also likely that the door to neighboring cubs Green Tag and Orange Tag will be opened. This means the five bear cubs in the Large Mammal Isolation will have access to the full enclosure for about a week before some (if not all) move to the Black Bear Complex.

August 16, 2016

Black Bear cub #16-1813 has been doing well since her admission to the Wildlife Center; the bear didn't experience any significant injuries or lingering problems from being hit by a car. On August 12, the staff moved to the bear to Large Mammal Isolation, so that the cub could be a nearby "neighbor" for Black Bear cub #16-1713, who is continuing to recover from elbow surgery in the connecting chute of the Large Mammal Isolation enclosure. Although the cubs aren't housed directly together, they can still visit through the bars of the enclosure.

Before the bear is moved to the bear complex, she'll receive a colored identification tag in each ear.

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