Black Bear Cubs Found Wandering In Neighborhood Brought To Ramona Wildlife Center

RAMONA, CA — Two orphaned black bear cubs were being rehabilitated at San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center, while a third was euthanized, the nonprofit organization announced Monday. The cubs were brought to the center after being rescued in Calaveras County in the central part of the state by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Two male and one female cubs, all estimated to be around 6 to 7 months old, had been seen wandering in a neighborhood for several days before arriving July 25 at Ramona Wildlife Center. Their mother was never found.

Veterinarians said the female cub suffered from a malformed shoulder and elbow, likely caused at birth, as well as a bullet wound in her front paw.

The deformities would have caused her "chronic pain and lifelong mobility issues," officials said. After consulting with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the San Diego Humane Society's veterinary team decided to "humanely euthanize her to prevent prolonged suffering."

"This is never a decision we take lightly," said Dr. Alexis Wohl, wildlife veterinary manager at San Diego Humane Society. "But in cases where an animal's quality of life would be severely compromised, humane euthanasia is sometimes the most compassionate option."

The two male cubs were reported healthy and were moved to a large outdoor enclosure designed to look like their natural habitat.

The Project Wildlife team will continue to care for the cubs as they grow stronger and prepare for potential release back into the wild, officials said.

"This is a critical moment for these bears," said Autumn Welch, wildlife operations manager of Ramona Wildlife Center. "We are doing everything we can to give them the best possible shot at returning to their wild home."

Ramona Wildlife Center is currently the only facility in California that accepts black bear cubs for rehabilitation. Other centers, including Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue and Gold Country Wildlife Rescue, were at full capacity and could not receive the cubs.