By CHRISTOPHER WEBER, Related Press
Autumn Welch dons a fur coat, leather-based gloves and a bear masks for work today, then enters an enclosure to feed and fawn over a 12-pound (5.4 kg) black bear cub who she hopes will think about her household.
The orphaned cub was about two months outdated when he was discovered April 12 in Southern California’s Los Padres Nationwide Forest — weak, underweight and alone. Since then, the child bear has been cared for by Welch’s crew with the San Diego Humane Society in classes that mimic familial behaviors. The hope is to finally return the cub to the wild.
On this photograph supplied by San Diego Humane Society, a bear cub, which was discovered alone in Los Padres Nationwide Forest, sleeps on the San Diego Human Society Ramona Wildlife Middle on Monday, April 14, 2025, in Ramona, Calif. (San Diego Humane Society through AP)
On this photograph supplied by San Diego Humane Society, an worker wears a fancy dress whereas interacting with a bear cub, which was discovered alone in Los Padres Nationwide Forest, backside left, on the San Diego Human Society Ramona Wildlife Middle on Sunday, Could 18, 2025, in Ramona, Calif. (San Diego Humane Society through AP)
On this photograph supplied by San Diego Humane Society, a San Diego Humane Society worker wears a masks earlier than interacting with a bear cub, which was discovered alone in Los Padres Nationwide Forest, on the San Diego Human Society Ramona Wildlife Middle on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Ramona, Calif. (San Diego Humane Society through AP)
On this photograph supplied by San Diego Humane Society, an worker wears camouflage whereas feeding a bear cub, which was discovered alone in Los Padres Nationwide Forest, on the San Diego Human Society Ramona Wildlife Middle on Monday, April 14, 2025, in Ramona, Calif. (San Diego Humane Society through AP)
On this photograph supplied by San Diego Humane Society, a bear cub, which was discovered alone in Los Padres Nationwide Forest, is housed on the San Diego Human Society Ramona Wildlife Middle on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, in Ramona, Calif. (San Diego Humane Society through AP)
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On this photograph supplied by San Diego Humane Society, a bear cub, which was discovered alone in Los Padres Nationwide Forest, sleeps on the San Diego Human Society Ramona Wildlife Middle on Monday, April 14, 2025, in Ramona, Calif. (San Diego Humane Society through AP)
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The bear costume is supposed to cease the rescued cub from bonding with people. The fur coats are saved in bins with hay scented by black bears. The crew went by a number of masks earlier than discovering one which match correctly.
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“Mama” is a huge stuffed teddy bear propped up within the nook of a pen on the humane society’s 13-acre (5-hectare) Ramona Wildlife Middle close to San Diego. That’s the place the cub turns when he’s spooked or simply needs to snuggle up for a nap, mentioned Welch, the wildlife operations supervisor.
“He’s probably really missing his real mom,” she mentioned.
When the costumed caregivers enter, the cub treats them like siblings. He rambunctiously performs with them and fortunately accepts grass and recent wildflowers to munch.
A milestone was met not too long ago when the teenager discovered to dig by soil for worms and bugs, “which he caught on to pretty quick,” Welch mentioned. Different meals is positioned in tree branches for him to seek out on his personal. Group members took coronary heart once they not too long ago discovered the cub snoozing on a tree department, a typical habits for bears within the wild.
“He’s very thoughtful. He’s constantly taking in his environment,” Welch mentioned.
The California Division of Fish and Wildlife tried to reunite the cub along with his mom after campers discovered him. They returned the teenager to the wild in a single day, however took him in when she didn’t seem. The emaciated 3-pound (1.3-kg) child bear was then transported to the Ramona wildlife middle.
The cub has quadrupled in dimension since then.
Biologists hope they’ll return him to the wilderness subsequent 12 months, supplied he can be taught to seek out meals, search shelter and keep away from folks.
The cub is the fourth to enter rehab care in California previously 5 years. He might be paired with a buddy if one other one turns up, as a result of that would cut back the danger of them imprinting on people.
In Virginia, staff of the Richmond Wildlife Middle final 12 months acted like mom foxes to feed and take care of an orphaned equipment. Video reveals a caregiver in a purple fox masks and rubber gloves feeding the tiny animal from a syringe. Just like the California cub and his teddy bear, the equipment sat on a big stuffed animal fox that was imagined to appear like her mom.
The costumed-care approach is comparatively new, Welch mentioned, so there’s no conclusive analysis on its effectiveness. However in Ramona, humane society staff carrying coyote masks efficiently raised three orphaned pups who’ve since been launched into the wild.
And the humane society is amassing animal masks simply in case.
“We haven’t found a good skunk mask yet,” Welch mentioned.
Initially Printed: Could 28, 2025 at 6:27 AM PDT
