On February 6, an infant male Black Bear cub was admitted to the Wildlife Center. The cub was found the evening before in Washington County when a family dog brought home the tiny cub. The homeowners were unsure where the cub came from, so they called the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF). A biologist transported the cub to the Center.
Dr. Claire, the Center’s veterinary intern, examined the cub when he arrived and found that the cub was bright and alert, and vocalizing readily. The cub weighed just 540 g – smaller than cub #20-0064 at admission – and was mildly dehydrated, though otherwise was healthy.
The cub was settled into an incubator, and the rehabilitation staff added him to their ‘round-the-clock bottle feeding schedule. A fecal sample was taken; as long as the cub is free from internal parasites, he’ll be introduced to female cub #20-0064 on the morning of February 7.
DGIF reported that they located two active den sites, both with sows and cubs. The dens are difficult to access; the biologists will continue to assess the situation and will plan to attempt fostering during the week of February 10. It's likely that the two cubs will be fostered separately, due to the size and age difference; the biologist will also need to assess the number and age of cubs present at the den sites and will make final decisions in the field.