Great news! BCU has met its initial fundraising goal to build the enclosure! We are well on our way and have all of the building materials either on order or already on hand. Thank you to everyone who donated to make this happen. We will be keeping this fundraiser open for folks interested in continuing to help cover the ongoing costs associated with BCU including the care of the bear cubs. Any additional donations received will go towards the care and feeding of the current student body, enrichment projects, and general BCU “campus” upkeep.
During the recent California wildfire season, we received three burned black bear cubs. We provided them the critical care needed for their burns and other injuries. Their treatment included the application of tilapia fish skin, acupuncture, pulsed electro-magnetic field therapy, a specially compounded pain cream, Manuka honey and oral pain medications and antibiotics.
While burns suffered by the orphaned bear cubs have healed, they require long term rehabilitation; in the wild they would stay with their mothers for 18-24 months. We are currently one of only three wildlife rehabilitation groups in the state of California permitted to rehabilitate black bear cubs. Since this is our first year to have this privilege, we need to build an enclosure large enough to house them until their release next spring.
As of today, the three bear cubs #21-4302 “Leo,” #21-4395 “Reggie Taylor,” and #21-4588 “Vinny” are healing, playing, and growing up together. They have the space they need right now, but they are growing by leaps and bounds. We are urgently raising these funds to build this large-scale bear rehabilitation enclosure as soon as possible.
This enclosure, which we lovingly refer to as “Bear Cub University”, will provide the space and enrichment deserved and required by bear cubs to develop the skills they need (like foraging and climbing) to successfully return to the wild. While Leo, Reggie Taylor, and Vinny will make up the inaugural class, this space will be utilized for the care of many orphaned and injured bear cubs to come in the future.