Black Bear cubs #20-0107 [Yellow Tag], 20-0108 [White Tag], and 20-0109 [Orange Tag]

Admitted: February 18, 2020
Released: April 13, 2021
Rescue Location: Floyd County, Virginia
Cause of Admission/Condition: Unknown
Status: Former Patient

Last Updated April 13, 2021 Jump to patient updates

On February 17, three infant Black Bear cubs were discovered in Floyd County, Virginia. The circumstances surrounding the bear cubs’ rescue are not clear, but they were taken to the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke for the night before they were transported to the Wildlife Center of Virginia the following morning.

The three cubs are healthy, though did not yet have radiographs and blood work performed by the veterinary staff. The cubs are at a very critical age when their eyes and ears are opening; only two wildlife rehabilitators will be interacting with the cubs to reduce the number of people that the cubs see and hear. Cub #20-0107 is a male and weighs 1.64 kg, cub #20-0108 is a female and weighs 1.27 kg, and cub #20-0109 is a male [orange head] and weighs 1.57 kg.

Biologists with the Department of Game & Inland Fisheries are conducting several den checks this week to see if suitable wild foster mothers can be found. The DGIF biologists were able to successfully foster two other Black Bear cubs last week.

Your donation will help provide specialized care to these infant Black Bear cubs. Thanks for your help!

Patient Updates

April 13, 2021

On Sunday, April 11, the rehabilitation staff were able to contain the four Black Bear yearlings that are slated for Tuesday’s release in the transition yards of the Black Bear Complex. Yellow Tag and Orange Tag were enclosed in one transition yard and slated for release together; Double Pink Tags and White Tag enclosed in the other transition yard. These were the first four bears admitted in 2020!

On the morning of Tuesday, April 13, the veterinary and rehabilitation teams were able to dart and sedate all four bears successfully. Each bear was examined and weighed, had a skin scrape taken and tested quickly in the Center’s lab, had blood drawn, and was tagged with a green ear tag in each ear.