On Sunday, February 7, a small yearling Black Bear was spotted in a tree on a homeowner’s property in Christiansburg, Virginia. The homeowner contacted the Wildlife Center, thinking that the bear was an orphaned cub. A Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries biologist went to the property to assess the bear and identified it as a yearling, no longer dependent on its mother. The bear was behaving normally despite being unusually small for a yearling.
During the week of February 8, the bear received a lot of unwanted attention, including many visitors and food offerings. Due to the increasing attention, and the proximity to homes and roads, it became unsafe to leave the bear in its habitat. It was captured on the morning of February 12 by the DGIF biologist and taken to the Wildlife Center of Virginia.
Drs. Helen and Dana examined the yearling after admission. Dr. Helen reports that the bear was bright, alert, and feisty, but very dehydrated and thin. The female yearling weighed in at 5.37 kg.
Radiographs revealed an old, healed pelvis fracture but showed no current issues. Blood work indicated that the bear was anemic and had a low total protein, but other blood results were within normal limits. The bear received fluids, iron, and a prophylactic anti-parasitic medication.
A black ear tag was placed in the bear's right ear before she was placed in a zinger crate for the night. The veterinary team will monitor the small bear throughout the weekend. If the bear is doing well, she'll be placed in the transition area of yard #1 in the Center's Black Bear Complex. This will allow her to see, smell, and hear the seven other yearling bears at the Center without direct interaction. The bear will likely stay at the Center for the immediate future and will be released with the seven other bears this spring.