RALEIGH, N.C. (WITN) – The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) recently released twelve rehabilitated black bear cubs back to the wild, with four of them coming from the coastal region and eight from the mountains.
Bear cubs are released on state-managed lands at sites reasonably far from human development in the region where they were originally found.
Some of the cubs are outfitted with tracking collars when they are released so NCWRC biologists can monitor their movements and learn more about their actions post-release. The tracking collars are designed to stay on the cubs until the following April, when a timer on the collar causes it to drop off the cub.
NCWRC receives orphaned cubs beginning in late January, with most arriving in April through June after female bears have emerged from their dens with their cubs. The cubs are placed with one of two licensed wildlife rehabilitators that are experienced and trained in black bear cub rehabilitation: the North Carolina Zoo and Appalachian Wildlife Refuge. The rehabilitators provide expert care and specialized food, with limited to no human interaction, until the bear cubs are about 7 to 8 months old.
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