After construction disrupted their den, two bear cubs get second chance in the wild

Two black bear cubs received a second chance at life in the wild after the orphans were accepted by a wild mother.

Found alone and in critical condition at an Orange County construction site, three cubs were admitted to the Wildlife Center of Virginia on Valentine’s Day. Due to injuries to one of the cubs, it was humanely euthanized.

While staff provided around-the-clock-care to the two healthy cubs bottle feeding them every six hours initially, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources biologists were hard at work searching for a possible Black Bear foster mother in the wild.

After locating a wild mother bear caring for existing cubs of her own, the two orphaned cubs were transported by DWR biologists to the den site Thursday. They gently placed the orphaned cubs into the den, and the sow almost immediately took them in without hesitation.

Though it can be difficult to monitor an active bear den, the mother appears to be appropriately caring for her new cubs, the center said.

For a history of the cubs, visit wildlifecenter.org