Before they can graduate from Bear Cub University, these black bear cubs at Gold County Wildlife Rescue have to take their “final exams”. They’ve been great students at BCU studying diligently in the arts of eating, foraging, and growing. Now, these big cubs are in the home stretch to return to the wild. Our team is working hard to prepare the cubs for their next big adventure.
The bears came to us last year after being orphaned and injured during the California wildfires. With the help of @wildlife disaster network and @jamie peyton, DVM, we were able to treat them for their burns and get them healthy.
Today these cubs are receiving a nutritious diet to help them gain weight for adulthood. They are being challenged with “puzzles” made from tree limbs and logs to test their climbing agility. The cubs even receive logs with drilled holes filled with honey to help them problem-solve. Wildlife technicians give grasses and other vegetation that the bears will find in the wild to prepare them for foraging on their own. The cubs even gain new experiences like pools of water to splash in and fresh snow to munch on!
Photos by Chelsea Engberg
