Stranded cubs
It all started Tuesday, when game commission conservation officer Rick Finnegan responded to an urgent call: three cubs were lying at the base of a fence in Troy Township. No mama was in the vicinity, and there were no reports of a sow being hit by a car, which leads the game commission to believe that the cubs were unlawfully handled.
Whatever the case, something needed to be done. "Cubs at this age are extremely vulnerable," said Bill Williams, a game commission information supervisor. Finnegan made sure that the cubs — two females and a male — received the immediate care they needed: warmth and milk.
Game commission officers knew they needed to get the cubs placed in a new den with a surrogate mother.
Fortunately, most bears give birth in January, and many females are still hibernating and giving milk to their young in March.
Game commission employees often visit bear dens in March to study the health of the state's bears and to collect statistics on bear populations. Lactating sows are still very sleepy in March, so that's when game commission researchers place radio collars, or tracking devices, on the denning bears to monitor them.
All of which played to the game commission's favor. "We were lucky," said Feaser. "In a way, it's the perfect time of year for placing orphaned cubs with another sow. Our researchers know where many of the sows are denning."
http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120317/NEWS/203170321
It all started Tuesday, when game commission conservation officer Rick Finnegan responded to an urgent call: three cubs were lying at the base of a fence in Troy Township. No mama was in the vicinity, and there were no reports of a sow being hit by a car, which leads the game commission to believe that the cubs were unlawfully handled.
Whatever the case, something needed to be done. "Cubs at this age are extremely vulnerable," said Bill Williams, a game commission information supervisor. Finnegan made sure that the cubs — two females and a male — received the immediate care they needed: warmth and milk.
Game commission officers knew they needed to get the cubs placed in a new den with a surrogate mother.
Fortunately, most bears give birth in January, and many females are still hibernating and giving milk to their young in March.
Game commission employees often visit bear dens in March to study the health of the state's bears and to collect statistics on bear populations. Lactating sows are still very sleepy in March, so that's when game commission researchers place radio collars, or tracking devices, on the denning bears to monitor them.
All of which played to the game commission's favor. "We were lucky," said Feaser. "In a way, it's the perfect time of year for placing orphaned cubs with another sow. Our researchers know where many of the sows are denning."
http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120317/NEWS/203170321