PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department has released three bear cubs in the wild after they were rescued last year after their mother was hit and killed by a vehicle near Oracle. Wildlife officials say the cubs were relocated in a remote area in central Arizona with help from the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center.
According to the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), at the time of last year’s accident, the cubs, all females, were rescued by Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers with assistance from the Hayden Police Department, AZGFD, and a good Samaritan. They were transported by Game and Fish to the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center (SWCC) facility in Scottsdale for care, where they have been for the past year.
“The situation provided a unique opportunity to rehab these bears and try to give them a second chance at life in the wild,” said Dustin Darveau, terrestrial wildlife specialist for AZGFD in a press release. “We partnered with Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center because of their knowledge and experience in working with bears, and their facility being able to handle the bears in a secluded area with limited human interaction.”
“Right now is about the time they would be leaving their mother and venturing out on their own, so we’re trying to simulate that as best we can in a controlled environment,” said James O’Brien, clinic manager and veterinary technician for SWCC. “We’ve minimized human contact in caring for them. They are big enough and ready to be released back into the wild.”
Before being released, the bears were tranquilized, given a health assessment, and each fitted with a GPS ear tag before being placed in the trailer that would carry them to the approved release site in a backcountry area.
The ear tags send tracking data to a satellite, which is then downloaded to a computer. This allows biologists to monitor the bears’ movements within their habitat, helping assist bear management in the future.
[metaslider id=65385]