BOISE, Idaho — An injured black bear cub that was scooped from the wild by a Boise hunter has been moved to a rehabilitation facility, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game says.
Charles Erickson told KTVB he found the young bear alone while hunting in the Garden Valley area Saturday. Worried it would not survive on its own, he said, he carried it to his pickup and drove it back to his house, where he kept it in his garage.
Once IDFG learned about the cub, however, they sent wildlife officers to collect it from Erickson. The hunter expressed fears the officers would euthanize the bear, which had an injury to its leg.
But on Wednesday, Fish and Game announced the male cub was being moved to a licensed rehabilitator in central Idaho. Veterinarian Dr. Mark Drew examined the bear and treated it for an abscess, infection, abrasions, and dehydration.
Not all bears can be rehabilitated - particularly if they have become to accustomed to humans, according to Fish and Game. But this cub, which officials say was born this past spring, was a good candidate.
The cub will remain at the rehab facility through the winter, then will be released back into the wild next spring.
“The bear was not habituated to humans, our primary concern when evaluating a bear for rehab,” Fish and Game regional supervisor Brad Compton said. “This cub wanted to steer clear of people, and a bear that acts this way in captivity will likely exhibit the same behavior in the wild.”
Although the cub's story has a happy ending, Fish and Game says, it is illegal in Idaho to remove big game animals from the wild. Anyone who spots an injured animal in the wild should leave it alone, and notify wildlife officers instead.