Bear Naked Truth

Facing a host of challenging medical ailments and a less-than-hopeful prognosis, an approximately 10-month-old male black bear from South Lake Tahoe was humanely euthanized on Monday at the Oakland Zoo where he was receiving treatment. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) veterinary team remained in close contact with the Oakland Zoo’s veterinary team, and after considering treatments and likely outcomes agreed that the cub was unlikely to have a good quality of life even if treatments were successful.

“This poor cub had a whole host of medical issues,” said CDFW Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Brandon Munk. “He was never going to be a normal bear again and would have required lifelong medical care in captivity. We didn’t want a poor quality of life for the bear and undue strain on any zoo or sanctuary caring for him.”

The severely underweight bear was brought to CDFW earlier this month after he was found in a public area of South Lake Tahoe. The bear was suffering from significant pneumonia, a broken foot with an infection that was likely spreading to surrounding bones, a dislocated wrist, severe hair loss and skin ulceration caused by fungal and bacterial infections, gastrointestinal parasites, an ear infection and an umbilical hernia.

CDFW received the bear on Nov. 10, did an assessment and on Nov. 11 transferred the bear to Oakland Zoo’s world-class veterinary medical facility. The zoo’s veterinarians were successful in relieving the bear’s pain and discomfort and stabilizing his condition. However, the bear’s condition worsened despite treatment. If veterinarians would have continued treatment, the bear would have required round-the-clock sedation, as well as potentially placing him on a ventilator.

“The fact that he had worsened, despite treatment, and would have required the highest level of invasive care, were the biggest deciding factors for euthanasia,” said Oakland Zoo Senior Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Sadler. “The potential for this bear to have a good life under human care, even with significant veterinary intervention, was very low. We didn’t want to see him undergo months of stress and painful treatment only to be left with conditions that would cause discomfort throughout his life.”

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Media Contact:
Ken Paglia, CDFW Communications: Ken.Paglia@wildlife.ca.gov

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) successfully returned a black bear to forest habitat in August after it traveled through Lake Isabella in Kern County getting into trash and ultimately making its way to a local shopping center where it was being fed inappropriately.

On August 10, CDFW received initial reports that the bear was going through trash bins at a local mobile home community. The bear hadn’t acted aggressively and was considered a “no harm/no foul” bear. CDFW advised residents to haze the bear without harming it, and to remove anything from the property that would attract bears, such as unsecured trash or pet food.

The approximately 2-year-old male bear traveled south from the mobile home community, rummaging through trash bins at several residences as it made its way to the Lake Isabella shopping center.

On August 15, CDFW and local law enforcement received reports that the bear was being given food, and possibly alcohol, by an individual at the shopping center. Officers responded and attempted to haze the bear to the nearest natural habitat in the Kern River Basin.

On August 16, after several attempts at hazing, CDFW made the decision to tranquilize the bear and return it to suitable habitat. The bear was never deemed aggressive and was observed to be a healthy animal.

“We prefer to use the least invasive method possible when managing conflict bears,” said Chris DeTar, CDFW’s biologist who led the effort. “In this situation, our preference would have been to continue hazing. But we decided to tranquilize and return the bear to suitable habitat for several reasons, including the presence of people, the feeding (which would have motivated the bear to return) and a nearby four-lane road that intersected its path to habitat.”

Biologists darted the bear with a tranquilizer gun, which prompted it to climb into a nearby tree. About five minutes later, the tranquilizer took effect and the bear tumbled out of the tree a short distance to the ground. CDFW staff conducted a health assessment and confirmed the bear was not injured and healthy enough to be returned to habitat.

“Bears are instinctive tree climbers, which can complicate the process of capturing and relocating,” said DeTar. “Our staff are well trained in tranquilizing techniques, including careful shot placement and taking every precaution to ensure the safety of the animal. But wildlife is wild and sometimes unpredictable. Sometimes a tranquilized animal will run away before the drugs take effect or will relax and lose its grip on a tree branch, as happened in this case. We do our best to prevent falls, but when it happens, we are prepared to evaluate and assist the animal to ensure its welfare before release.”

Following the health assessment, staff ear-tagged the bear and placed it in a transport carrier, adding ice packs to ensure it didn’t get too hot. The bear was then transported to national forest land where it was successfully released.

CDFW Statewide Conflict Specialist Ryan Leahy noted that although the effort was successful, it also serves as a cautionary tale.

“We may have been able to use less invasive methods to resolve the situation had it not been for the public feeding the bear,” said Leahy. “When bears obtain human food, they begin to seek it out even if natural food sources are available. Bears can quickly lose their natural fear of people, which often escalates the situation. It’s a reminder that access to human food is often at the root of human-wildlife conflict.”

There is bear habitat in the higher elevation forested areas surrounding Lake Isabella. From time to time, bears will find their way into populated areas that are near wild lands like this. When bears enter urban or populated areas, they’re usually looking for food. The best way to keep bears away is to eliminate all attractants like unsecured garbage and pet food. Whether intentional or not, it is illegal to feed all wildlife including bears.

When a bear makes its way into a residential area but hasn’t acted aggressively, CDFW’s goal is to give the bear a chance to return to habitat on its own. If the presence of a bear becomes a public safety concern, CDFW wildlife officers respond and often work directly with local law enforcement.

Bear encounters and property damage caused by bears can be reported to CDFW through its statewide Wildlife Incident Reporting system.

More tips for safely co-existing with bears can be found on CDFW’s Keep Me Wild web page.

Media contact:
Ken Paglia, CDFW Communications: Ken.Paglia@wildlife.ca.gov