A male bear cub picked up by a hiker along the Santiam River Trail has been sent to, a wildlife rehabilitation facility today to continue its growth, according to Colin Gillin, the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife state wildlife veterinarian who has been taking care of the cub with his veterinary staff since it was turned over to ODFW on Monday, March 27.
A second, female, bear cub arrived at ODFW’s Corvallis office on Thursday, March 30, after its den near Myrtle Creek was disturbed by a brush-clearing operation. The mother bear was believed to have abandoned the bear cub due to the continuing disturbance, and it was determined that the mother bear was unlikely to return.
Both bear cubs are of similar age, between three and four months old, the male cub weighed 4.5 pounds, and the female weighed 6 pounds. The male bear cub was treated for mild pneumonia by ODFW veterinarian Julia Burco and several other staff, who worked with the Oregon State School of Veterinary Medicine to evaluate the cub to make sure it didn’t have any underlying congenital issues that would have made him a poor candidate for rehabilitation.
On Friday, March 31, both bear cubs were transported to PAWS Wildlife Center in Lynwood, Washington, a rehabilitation facility used by the Department because of their specialized standard of care designed to allow young bears to develop without habituating to humans so they can be returned to Oregon for release into the wild.
“We’ll receive these cubs as unhabituated and year-old bears sometime between March and June of 2018,” Colin Gillin said. “And they’ll be between 100 and 150 pounds at the time of release.”
ODFW and Oregon State Police remind Oregonians that taking young animals out of the wild isn’t just against the law, it’s also bad for the animal. These animals miss the chance to learn important survival skills from their mother like where to feed, what to eat, how to behave and avoid danger and predators. The hiker who picked up the male bear cub on Sunday, March 26th, was given a warning by Troopers. Although the OSP did not issue a citation for this specific occurrence, individuals have been cited in the past for similar activities. Oregon State Police will look at each case individually and decide whether a citation or warning will be issued.
Before picking up any wild animal, call ODFW, Oregon State Police, or a wildlife rehabilitator for advice. Removing or “capturing” an animal from the wild and keeping it in captivity without a permit is against state law (OAR 635-044-0015), as is transporting many animals. Last year, seven people were cited for such offenses. You can contact our veterinary staff toll-free at 866-968-2600.
