DENVER – After a rough beginning to life, a yearling black bear injured during the Camreon Peak Fire is back roaming the Colorado Rocky Mountains with a new lease on life.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) treated and rehabilitated this young bear for nearly five months before releasing it back into the mountains in Larimer County on May 5. Special circumstances and collaboration that spanned across landowners, wildlife officers, state wildlife health and wildlife rehabilitation officials allowed for the unique opportunity to treat this bear, but its natural survival instincts is really what kept it going.
“This bear’s drive to survive did most of the work and we just gave it a little boost,” said Kristin Cannon, Deputy Regional Manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Northeast region. “This bear went through an awful lot in its first year of life, let’s hope humans can now help keep it wild by not rewarding it with our food sources and lowering its chances of survival.”
Landowners on Buckhorn Road northwest of Masonville called CPW on Dec. 7 to report an injured bear cub seen on their parent’s porch. Wildlife officers responded that day, but were unable to locate the cub upon arrival and a search of the vicinity. Later that week, on Dec. 11, it was reported that the bear cub was once again sleeping on a porch on the same ranch. A wildlife officer successfully captured the cub that evening.
The male cub was suffering from old burns on its feet sustained during the Cameron Peak Fire. Its ears were infected from frostbite, it was covered in cockleburs, was severely dehydrated, weak and starving. The bear cub weighed just 16.3 pounds.
“This is an incredibly fortunate bear,” said CPW Area Wildlife Manager Jason Duetsch. “Most wild animals don’t survive the
