Monroe facility helps cubs return to wild

Four black bear cubs were recently released back into the wild, the Pennsylvania Game Commission announced last week.

Game Commission wardens and two wildlife biologists transported the cubs from the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center near Saylorsburg, Monroe County, to suitable habitat on state game lands.

Bears under one year of age are considered cubs. Cubs typically stay with their mothers for the first 18 months of their lives; however, black bear cubs are often fully weaned around mid-July, or at about 7 months old, at which time they can survive without their mothers.

Cubs that have been orphaned before this age have a lower chance of survival without their mother helping to provide for them and protect them from potential predators and other bears. Thus, the Game Commission will sometimes place orphaned cubs less than 7 months old in a rehabilitation center to help them gain weight and learn life skills before being released later that same summer.

“While not all cubs found under these conditions are candidates for rehabilitation due to severe health problems, others may receive care and eventually be returned back to the wild,” said Game Commission Northeast Region Wildlife Management Supervisor Kevin Wenner.

If a sow with newborn cubs is killed by a motor vehicle in early spring or reports of abandoned and orphaned cubs are received and verified by state game wardens, a small window of opportunity exists to place these cubs with surrogate sows that are still denning. The sow rarely recognizes the extra member of her litter and accepts the new addition as one of her own.

However, if a sow is killed after the denning period, and before the first-year cubs become independent, professional care provided at a wildlife rehabilitation facility may provide their best chance of survival.

When a lone cub was seen wandering in a neighborhood of Hazle Township in Luzerne County this past June, State Game Warden Dale Ambosie responded and determined that the cub was alone and had been orphaned for unknown reasons.

He captured the 15-pound cub and transported to the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in Monroe County. The cub joined three other cubs from Blair County, already at the facility.

The Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center is a nonprofit organization founded in 1983 and licensed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pennsylvania Game Commission, and U.S. Department of Agriculture. The center provides humane and professional care for injured and orphaned wildlife with the goal of returning animals back into the wild.

Bear cubs are initially housed in a double-size veterinary cage and provided additional space as they gain weight. A 30-by-30-foot stockade-style enclosure houses the bears when they weigh about 20 pounds. The enclosure contains a section of culvert pipe that offers protection from the elements, and a massive tree stump allows cubs to practice their climbing skills.

Cubs learn to feed from a heavy ceramic dish filled with whole milk yogurt mixed with fresh or frozen berries. Their solid diet is as varied as it would be in nature. Acorns collected during the previous fall are scattered about the enclosure to stimulate foraging behavior. Fruits of all description are provided, mostly donated by local produce stands and markets. Fresh corn, cabbage and broccoli are favored vegetables.

Human activity is kept to an absolute minimum throughout the whole process to limit the possibility of habituation. Only one person has access to the cubs to place food and remove waste. Observation is provided through a one-way glass.

Game Commission personnel worked quickly to anesthetize all four cubs in preparation for transport. The young bears were weighed and given a final health examination. The cubs appeared healthy and had gained up to 50 pounds.

Two of the cubs were taken to a remote piece of State Game Lands in Sullivan County. The two remaining cubs were transported back to the Southcentral Region to be released.

“Offering these cubs a second chance at survival was a rewarding experience,” Wenner said. “The exceptional efforts of Game Commission personnel and Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and Education staff made it possible.”