Orphaned Bear Cub Finds Solace in Teddy Bear and Disguised Caregivers.

At the Ramona Wildlife Center in Southern California, an orphaned black bear cub is finding comfort in an unusual family—caregivers dressed as bears and a giant teddy bear named “Mama.”

The cub, estimated to be about two months old at the time of rescue, was discovered on April 12 in Los Padres National Forest. Weak, malnourished, and alone, the young bear weighed only three pounds (1.3 kg) when found by campers. Wildlife officials initially attempted to reunite him with his mother by returning him to the wild overnight, but when she failed to return, the cub was taken to the San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center.

Now weighing 12 pounds (5.4 kg), the cub has made significant progress under the care of wildlife operations manager Autumn Welch and her team. Their caregiving approach is both innovative and nurturing—they wear fur coats, leather gloves, and bear masks during interactions to minimize the bear's exposure to human identity. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to avoid human imprinting and increase the cub's chances of successful reintroduction to the wild.

The bear costumes used by the staff are stored with hay that carries black bear scent, and the team experimented with different masks until they found one that fit effectively. When these disguised caregivers enter his pen, the cub responds to them like playmates—frolicking, accepting fresh wildflowers and grass, and practicing essential survival behaviors.

A crucial milestone was reached recently when the cub began foraging for worms and insects in the soil on his own. Food is also strategically placed in tree branches to encourage natural scavenging habits. Caregivers were heartened to see the cub sleeping on a tree branch—an instinctive behavior seen in wild bears.

The pen where the cub resides also houses “Mama,” a large stuffed bear positioned in the corner. According to Welch, the cub often seeks it out when frightened or tired. “He’s probably really missing his real mom,” she shared.

This cub is the fourth to undergo rehabilitation in California over the past five years. If another orphaned cub is rescued, the two may be paired together to further reduce the likelihood of bonding with humans.

This method of animal care isn’t unique to California. Last year, caregivers at Virginia’s Richmond Wildlife Center donned fox masks and gloves to raise an orphaned kit. The young fox, like the California cub, had a plush animal companion to mimic maternal presence.

While this costumed-care technique is relatively new and lacks long-term data on its effectiveness, Welch notes past successes. At Ramona, three coyote pups raised by masked caregivers were successfully released into the wild.

With continued progress, biologists hope to release the cub into his natural habitat next year—strong, skilled, and wild at heart.

Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-05-orphaned-cub-comfort-teddy-costumed.html

This is non-financial/medical advice and made using AI so could be wrong.