Our daughter, Maya, is a full-time student who also works part time for the California Department of Fish and Game. Yesterday, she and her boss (and a truck full of cohorts) drove to Truckee to begin preparations for the release of a bear cub, whose mother was hit by a car and killed. Those preparations included tranquilizing the little fellow (who actually weighs 80 pounds), then snuggling it into a hibernation den – a cozy villa lined with straw and pine boughs – in the hope it will sleep for the rest of the winter. It was tagged with a transmitter, so that biologists can track the bear’s progress when it wakes up.
The cub is the first of five that Fish and Game will return to the wild this winter.
3 comments:
This is a fascinating story, Renee, and I'd love more details. Where exactly do they place this little plastic tub-of-bear, and how do they know it'll be safe from predators for the rest of the winter?
Lynn
Hi Lynn. Great questions! The cub's igloo was placed in an ecological study area, and while its safety can't be guaranteed, biologists are hopeful all will go well. They'll also monitor its whereabouts via its ear transmitter, in the event it rouses prematurely and wanders off. (It has officially entered a state of lethargy, so chances are good it will stay put.)
So I gather the "igloo" has a kind of cover over it? (This is a big-city person trying to figure things out).
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