Video shows 3 grizzly cubs adjusting to life after their mom died protecting them
A grizzly bear attacked a hiker in early April trying to protect her cubs. Now her orphaned grizzlies are getting the extra help and care they need.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks rescued the three grizzly cubs earlier this month after their mother attacked a hiker trying to protect them, according to a Fish, Wildlife and Parks news release.
The mother was euthanized by FWP officials after the hiker shot and injured the grizzly, officials said. At the time, wildlife officials could not find the cubs, and officials did not know if the cubs would survive, McClatchy News reported.
Three days after the mother’s death, however, a family near Dupuyer, Montana, saw three grizzly cubs playing together in a nearby field, according to FWP.
“The family called FWP to report the cubs,” FWP said in the news release. “While waiting for FWP staff to arrive, the family grew concerned for the cubs’ safety because of a male grizzly that lives in the area and because of an impending snowstorm. The ranching family, being adept at roping, were able to gently rope the cubs and keep them in one area.”
The bears are so young, they were still only nursing at the time of rescue, according to FWP. Wildlife officials made a specialized formula for the bears to feed them, and they are now eating well and putting on weight, according to Montana Wild.
Grizzly bear cubs can’t be released back into the wild because they would habituate toward people after being bottle fed, according to FWP.
“This would pose a significant human safety risk and drastically lowers their ultimate success in the wild,” FWP said on Facebook.
Officials are looking for a new, permanent home in a zoo for the cubs as they continue to grow, according to FWP.
“These three orphaned grizzly bear cubs are a reminder of how important it is to continue supporting FWP biologists in their efforts to work with landowners and communities to reduce conflicts with wildlife,” Montana’s Outdoor Legacy Foundation said on a GoFundMe page for grizzly bear research and education.
This story was originally published April 27, 2020 at 3:58 PM with the headline "Video shows 3 grizzly cubs adjusting to life after their mom died protecting them."