Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
WJTV 12
Mississippi Black Bear Program rehomes abandoned cub
By Kaitlin Howell,
2024-03-14
WILKINSON COUNTY, Miss. ( WJTV ) – The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) Black Bear Program recently rescued and rehomed an abandoned black bear cub from the South Delta to a new den in Wilkinson County.
Officials said the cub was unexpectedly abandoned following a routine den check where MDWFP biologists conducted a workup on the first-time mother and cub. They said the young female (sow) was not expected to have cubs this year because of her age and her frequent movements over the last few months.
Following the den check, game camera footage and collar location data indicated the sow had left the tree den. Biologists monitored her location for a day and a half, and she did not return.
Biologists were also monitoring a mature sow with cubs in Wilkinson County that they believed would be a good match for the abandoned cub. Because of imminent rainstorms and the sow not returning, biologists decided to go back to the den site to rescue the cub and relocate it to Wilkinson County.
Biologists proceeded with the planned den check on the Wilkinson County sow where they conducted workups on her three cubs and introduced the foster cub to the den. When agency staff left the site, the formerly abandoned cub was nursing the sow along with her new litter mates.
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) Black Bear Program recently rescued and rehomed an abandoned black bear cub from the South Delta to a new den in Wilkinson County. (Courtesy: MDWFP)
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) Black Bear Program recently rescued and rehomed an abandoned black bear cub from the South Delta to a new den in Wilkinson County. (Courtesy: MDWFP)
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) Black Bear Program recently rescued and rehomed an abandoned black bear cub from the South Delta to a new den in Wilkinson County. (Courtesy: MDWFP)
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) Black Bear Program recently rescued and rehomed an abandoned black bear cub from the South Delta to a new den in Wilkinson County. (Courtesy: MDWFP)
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) Black Bear Program recently rescued and rehomed an abandoned black bear cub from the South Delta to a new den in Wilkinson County. (Courtesy: MDWFP)
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) Black Bear Program recently rescued and rehomed an abandoned black bear cub from the South Delta to a new den in Wilkinson County. (Courtesy: MDWFP)
MDWFP has been conducting den checks since the start of the Black Bear Program in 2003. During den checks, the sow is sedated while biologists measure, weigh, sex, and tag the cubs for future identification.
According to officials, cub abandonment following a den check is very rare, with less than five other cases in the 21-year history of the program.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Local Mississippi State
Most Popular
Comments / 0