ARIZONA, USA — Three young black bears were released back into the wild by the Arizona Game and Fish Department after months of rehabilitation at the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale, officials said Friday.
AZGFD officials said two of the bears were orphaned last year when their mom was hit and killed by a car. The baby bears were taken to the Southwest Wildlife Center. The third was found orphaned in southeastern Arizona and was captured by an AZGFD wildlife manager. After efforts to locate its mom were unsuccessful, it was also transported to Southwest Wildlife.
Game and Fish officials said once the bears showed proficiency in foraging and natural behavior methods, they were considered ready to return to the wild. The bears were given a final health check and fitted with identification ear tags before they were taken to an approved release site in a suitable black bear habitat.
Wildlife experts are hoping the ear tags will provide the necessary data to document the bears’ survivability, dispersal, and habitat use, which provides valuable information for future bear management in Arizona.
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