Orphaned bear cub returns home

The last orphaned black-bear cub of 2010 was recently returned to its forest home in Tehama County’s Lassen National Forest after five months of rehabilitation at a Lake Tahoe facility, according to a California Department of Fish and Game news release.

The cub was emaciated and suffering from severe hair loss when it was discovered by a logger working in the forest last September. It appeared the cub’s mother died before he learned to forage for food, and that he would not survive the winter.

A DFG warden captured the cub, took him to Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, where he grew from a meager 18 pounds to a hearty 90 pounds. He was then transported back to the forest and was tucked into a pre-dug bear den.

Five other black-bear cubs were found around the state last year. Four of them were cared for at the same Tahoe facility, and the fifth was rehabilitated at an Arizona facility.