Outlook better for orphan cub
Bear with severely burned paws rescued from Colorado wildfire.
An orphaned bear cub suffered painful burns to her paws in one of the halfdozen significant wildfires scorching Colorado, but she is being nursed to health, state officials said.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers believe the bear will recover enough to be released before the end of the year.
“When the bear was brought in, I wasn’t sure if it was going to make it,” Parks and Wildlife veterinary technician Michael Sirochman said.
“But she’s responding very well to treatment, and by winter we believe we’ll be able to return her to the wild.”
It was encouraging news amid an extreme drought and an outbreak of wildfires in Colorado and much of the southwestern US.
The wildfire that injured the cub has burned 168sq km near Durango in the southwestern corner of the state. More than 2000 homes were evacuated at one point, but those residents were allowed to return.
Five other Colorado wildfires prompted the evacuation of at least 650 homes.
The injured bear cub is 4 or 5 months and weighed just 4.5kg when she was rescued.
Sirochman said the cub’s burns were severe and she mainly lies on her side to keep her weight off the painful wounds.
Carers are minimising contact with the cub so she won’t become used to humans, which would make it difficult for her to survive in the wild.