OUR BEAR REHAB FAQ

OUR QUALIFICATIONS:

We are professional wildlife rehabilitators with almost 50 years of experience. Our facility is Federally & State permitted to treat any species allowed to be rehabbed in the state of Wisconsin. We have been raising and releasing black bear cubs and treating injured adult black bears since before 1998. Since 1998 we have admitted and handled over 400 bears.

GENERAL NATURAL HISTORY OF BLACK BEARS IN WISCONSIN:

Breeding season of black bears in Wisconsin generally peaks around July 4^th with delayed implantation (Embryonic diapause). The blastocysts suspend further development until they implant onto the uterine wall in November. The cubs are born in January while the mom is in winter sleep/hibernation. This means most cubs born in Wisconsin, no matter where in Wisconsin, are generally just a few weeks apart in age.

Ideally the cubs stay with their mom through their first 1.5 years. They den up with her their first fall and as yearlings hang out with her until dispersing when she breeds again that next summer. This means females normally raise litters every other year.

Occasionally, an offspring may den up with her the year she gives birth, but this is not typical.

Cubs are born eyes-closed and helpless. Typically, they are less than one pound and just coordinated enough to barely crawl. They gain coordination by walking around in the den before it’s time to emerge. If a disturbance such as logging, snowmobiling or flooding occurs before they are ready to leave the den, families can easily get separated at a critical time for the cubs.

OUR CARE:

There are many considerations when bringing any animal into rehab; each and every situation is unique. Just a few factors we consider are weather, species, natural history, age, activities in the area. Our first and primary goal is to keep any young animal with its wild family. Rest assured we are not out “collecting” animals that do not need help.

With any animal in our care, we make sure they are not “tamed” or made into pets. Our goal is to return them back into the wild able to survive in the wild. This means as little contact as necessary. Our facility is also set up to provide the opportunities needed for each species to develop their innate instincts to be able to feed and care for themselves in the wild.

WHAT DOES A DEN LOOK LIKE?

Black Bears in WI are opportunistic about most things, including housing. Some dens they dig themselves, some are simply a cavity under an uprooted tree, others are just a hollow in the ground in the middle of a corn field. They’ve even been known to use an eagle nest.

WHAT HAPPENED TO MOM?

Cubs are orphaned for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the den floods. If this happens before cubs are coordinated enough to keep up with mom, they can easily and quickly get separated. Logging operations, snowmobiling, loose dogs, agricultural activities such as cutting corn fields, opening-up a seasonal cabin or other human activities can accidentally disturb a den. As they get older and are moving around the landscape with mom, cars are a big danger. Many sows are hit by cars leaving behind cubs. Shooting is another human cause. Yes, people kill mom illegally. 

Unlike on Disney, moms don’t always come back for their cubs. Their self-preservation sometimes comes first, especially for first-time moms. Just like in humans, some moms are better than others in general.

Even those bears that are generally good moms, aren’t necessarily good at counting and a cub can be unintentionally left behind. Sometimes wild moms know something humans can’t detect and young are intentionally abandoned because of a health issue.

CAN YOU PUT THEM IN ANOTHER DEN?

Yes. This is our first choice and we do this anytime it is safely possible. But, as with anything wildlife rehab related, many things need to be considered. It’s not as easy as just knowing where a den is.

Some of these things are more tangible and predictable such as weather, time of year & proximity to leaving the den. Other things are more experience/judgment based such as what is the foster sow’s past history & health, is she able to take on extra cubs, is she a first-time mom, how many cubs does she already have, what will the upcoming year provide for wild food, etc.

WHEN/WHERE DO YOU RELEASE THEM?

We release them in undisclosed locations across northern Wisconsin in the fall after bear season is over.

No, we do not overwinter them and release them in the spring.  Yes, they would stay with their mom the first year in the wild. Survivability age studies have shown that cubs can survive without their moms at about 30lbs and 6 months of age. Cubs that are orphaned and NOT raised in rehabilitation centers, will den up their first winter without their moms. While not ideal, it does also happen in nature.

We get them at a very generous weight to go into hibernation and release them close to hibernation time.  They go into hibernation and wake up like wild bears in the spring. We know this works as we have participated in six telemetry studies. Outside organizations and universities have radio-collared our cubs at release and followed their activities. Not only have these studies shown our methods have resulted in normal wild bear behavior, our cubs have survived into adulthood and have had cubs of their own.