Footage from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Dept. (CPW) shows the heartwarming moment five orphaned bear cubs were released back into the wild.
The cubs spent the summer at a CPW rehabilitation center in Frisco Creek after being found and determined to be too young to be left alone.
According to local reports, three of the bears were rescued after their mother was euthanized because she entered a home, while the other two were found in separate instances. Black bears are more likely than brown or grizzly bears to view humans as a source for food, and anytime that association is made, the bear is a danger to public safety.
After being rescued, all the cubs were taken to the rehab center to grow and socialize before being released back into the wild.
While the bears are in rehabilitation, there is no talking allowed near the pens where they are kept and the bears never see a person feeding them. These measures help ensure the bears develop the appropriate instincts to survive in the wild.
The 5 were released in Pagosa Springs, Colorado on November 20th.
“Of the 25 cubs rehabbed at Frisco Creek this year, eight have now been released following three earlier this week by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department in Jefferson County,” a spokesperson for the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department said. “Eight more will go out next week, including some to Gunnison. Some aren’t fat enough yet to go out for hard release.”
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The spokesperson added that the cubs who remain at Frisco Creek will continue to eat before going into artificial den boxes to be released later in January or February.
“We like to get cubs over 80 pounds for release to give them an extra head start on getting through winter and the early spring months,” they added.
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“A huge thank you to Sirochman and his family at Frisco Creek for the excellent care of these cubs. Every year is different. We’ve had as few as four and as many as 40 cubs at the facility in one summer. The joy is felt by all when they return to the wild.”
WATCH them scamper off into the woods…
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