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Source: San Diego Humane Society's Project WildlifeSeptember 27, 2022 (Ramona) -- Two orphaned bear cubs, who have been growing strong at San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center for more than a year, have a new home at the Amarillo Zoo in Texas. The 18-month old bears were transferred in an airconditioned van by San Diego Humane Society’s Project Wildlife staff. The team arrived this morning and successfully unloaded the bears.
The brother and sister cubs arrived at the Ramona Wildlife Center on Aug. 18, 2021 after they were captured by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CFDW) in the Three Rivers area. The bears had been seen without their mother, seeking food from people — a behavior which ultimately leads to problems for both bears and humans. For their own safety and the safety of the public, CFDW captured the cubs and transported them to San Diego Humane Society for care.
During their 13-month stay at San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center, Project Wildlife’s animal care team worked to prepare the bears for a potential return to the wild by minimizing human interaction and moving them to outdoor enclosures as soon as they were ready. The move outdoors last November was significant because the bears got acclimated to the weather and had more opportunities to run, climb trees, play and forage for their food. San Diego Humane Society’s wildlife care specialists worked with the bears to develop their wild instincts by having them search for food and grubs. The bears consumed about 10 pounds of food every day, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, honey and assorted proteins.
Despite the Project Wildlife team’s best efforts, the bears were too acclimated to humans. Once confirmed that the bear cubs would not be returned to the wild, the female was named Truffle and her brother was named Oyster. Animal care staff began the process of training the bears to enter a large transport crate, using positive reinforcement and treats, so that the bears would be ready for transport once a location for their future home had been determined. “While it is always our goal to return rehabilitated animals back to their natural habitat, we are committed to finding other paths when there are no other options,” said Andy Blue, campus director of San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center. “Since these bears cannot be returned to the wild we are grateful for CDFW and the Amarillo Zoo for working with us on a solution to have these two young bears live out their lives as ambassador animals.”
San Diego Humane Society’s Project Wildlife program is the primary resource for wild animal rehabilitation and conservation education in San Diego County. Each year, SDHS gives more than 13,000 injured, orphaned and sick wild animals a second chance. In 2020, SDHS announced a new Ramona Campus, where they specialize in caring for native apex predators and birds of prey, including hawks, owls, eagles, coyotes, bears, bobcats and, under special pilot authorization, mountain lions.
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