PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Zoo staffers in Portland are caring for three orphaned black bear cubs no bigger than puppies.
The Oregonian reported that a logging crew discovered the one male and two female cubs a week ago in a hollow log in western Yamhill County. The loggers from Cross and Crown were worried that their operation might have scared the mother bear away so they called Oregon Fish and Wildlife. A state biologist arranged for observation of the den. The mother bear visited briefly Wednesday morning, then disappeared.
Likely born in January, the cubs were moved to the Oregon Zoo last Friday. The zoo often helps Oregon Fish and Wildlife care for orphans until permanent homes can be found for animals that aren’t releasable back to the wild.
Austin, Texas, Zoo &Animal Sanctuary has offered to take the cubs. The Austin Zoo has sent animal trainer Trevor Fowler to Portland to learn the best ways to care for them.
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Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com
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