Bear Cub’s Caregivers

A starving, two-month-old black bear cub was discovered alone in California’s Los Padres National Forest and is now thriving under the dedicated care of wildlife experts at the San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center. To ensure he keeps his wild instincts—especially around food—the caregivers wear full bear costumes, use bear-scented hay, and provide a life-size teddy bear for comfort. After arriving at just 3 lb, the cub has already quadrupled his weight and, under this innovative rehabilitation method, is learning essential survival skills like climbing, digging for insects, and foraging independently . This costume-based care helps prevent human imprinting, increasing the chances he’ll be ready to return to the wild—likely in about a year—once he masters natural behaviors and learns to avoid people.

Image via San Diego Humane Society 

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