Overview

• The cub, discovered on April 12 in Los Padres National Forest, was severely malnourished and abandoned by its mother.
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists attempted to reunite the cub with its mother, but she did not return, leading to his transfer to the San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center on April 14.
• The bear is now stable, playful, and gaining weight after a month of round-the-clock care, including four daily feeding and enrichment sessions.
• Staff use bear masks and camouflage during care to prevent human imprinting, ensuring the cub can reintegrate into the wild successfully.
• This case is exceptionally rare, with only four bear cubs this young rehabilitated in California in the past five years, and the effort relies entirely on public donations.