Black Bear cub #24-0385

On March 27, Black Bear cub #24-0385 was admitted to the Center. The young male cub was found in Scott County after a den disturbance; a sow reportedly ran off with four cubs, leaving one small cub behind. When reuniting the cub did not seem possible within two days, a biologist with the Department of Wildlife Resources brought the cub to the Wildlife Center for care.

The rehabilitation and veterinary teams examined the cub when he arrived, and found him to be dehydrated and thin, but otherwise in good condition. Weighing in at 2.03 kg, the cub is a little smaller than the other male cub currently in care at the Center, though is generally the same age. The rehabilitation staff placed the cub in a Zinger crate and started bottle-feeding him oral electrolytes. The cub is currently on a three-time-a-day feeding schedule.

On March 28, both of the Black Bear cubs were moved to the Large Mammal Isolation enclosure, and were introduced! The two cubs immediately started playing together. They’ll remain in their own individual Zinger crates for a day or two and will continue to have supervised playtime before they become permanent roommates.

For all future updates on this cub, follow along with the Black Bear cubs of 2024!