April 23 was a busy day for admissions – particularly bear admissions! Shortly after Black Bear yearling #16-0354 was admitted, another Black Bear arrived at the Center.
Black Bear #16-0364 was trapped near Winchester, Virginia by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF). Several bears with severe mange have been seen in this area; some bears have been so severely affected and suffering that humane euthanasia has been necessary. Black Bear #16-0364 appeared to be treatable when he was trapped on April 22, and a DGIF biologist transported it to the Center the following day.
Dr. Dana was unable to get the bear sedated enough to safely examine it, so a visual examination was performed. The bear had moderate alopecia (hair loss) and thickened, crusted skin all over its face, ear tips, and both forelimbs. There was also alopecia along the back of the bear and at the base of the tail. Dr. Dana estimates that the bear’s body condition was 1/5, and the bear showed signs of poor muscle mass. The staff estimate that the bear may be two years old, and should be able to learn more during a physical examination of the teeth.
The bear was safely transferred from the transport trap into the Center’s Large Mammal Isolation enclosure while the bear was moderately sedate, and a weight was obtained by placing a large scale into the shoot connecting the two isolation enclosures. The bear weighed in at 25.8 kg. The bear appeared to be walking with a hunched posture but was weight-bearing evenly on all four limbs. It’s possible that the bear is weak, due to its thin condition; it’s also possible that the hunched posture was a lingering effect of the sedation.
Dr. Dana started the bear on an oral treatment for bear mange, which the bear will receive once a week for a total of four treatments. The rehabilitation staff will offer the bear a regular bear meal in gradually increasing amounts during the next few days to decrease the risk of re-feeding syndrome. The staff will likely attempt to dart the bear this week to perform a full physical examination and blood work.