Several Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife conservation officers and one wildlife biologist gathered at the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center near Saylorsburg recently to transport four bear cubs to suitable habitat on state game lands.

 All “first-year” cubs, they were left vulnerable to starvation when adult sows were struck and killed by motor vehicles earlier in the spring. Black bear cubs are not fully weaned until mid to late summer and, when deprived of nutrition and protection provided by the sow, have little chance of survival without human intervention.Game Commission records show that more than 120 bears were killed on Pennsylvania roads so far in 2016.“While not all cubs found under these conditions are candidates for rehabilitation due to severe health problems, others may receive care and eventually be returned back to the wild,” said Game Commission Northeast Region Wildlife Biologist Kevin Wenner.If a sow with newborn cubs is killed by a motor vehicle in early spring, a small window of opportunity exists to place these cubs — one per den — with surrogate sows that are still in hibernation. The sow rarely recognizes the extra member of her litter and feeds the new addition as one of her own. However, if a sow is killed after the hibernation period, and before the first-year cubs become independent, professional care provided at a wildlife rehabilitation facility may be their only hope of survival.When two small bear cubs were seen wandering a neighborhood of Penn Forest Township in Carbon County in June, Wildlife Conservation Officer Cory Bentzoni responded to the area and determined the sow was struck by a vehicle and died in the nearby woods.He captured the 12-pound cubs and transported them to the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in Monroe County. They joined two other cubs from Lycoming and Northampton counties, already at the facility.The Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center is a nonprofit organization founded in 1983 and licensed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pennsylvania Game Commission, and U.S. Department of Agriculture. The center provides humane and professional care for injured and orphaned wildlife with the goal of returning animals back into the wild.Center Director Katherine Uhler has 13 years of experience working with bear cubs. She explained that when cubs arrive they are given a complete physical and examined for signs of dehydration, external parasites and other health issues.“Dehydration is common and can be treated orally or with subcutaneous injections,” Uhler said. “All cubs are administered B-complex vitamins to combat stress and a broad-spectrum anti-parasitic that treats both mange and internal parasites.”Bear cubs are initially housed in a double-size veterinary cage and provided additional space as they gain weight. A 30-by-30-foot stockade-style enclosure houses the bears when they weigh about 20 pounds. The enclosure contains a section of culvert pipe that offers protection from the elements, and a massive tree stump allows cubs to practice their climbing skills.A bear-specific milk replacement formula is offered that has a high fat content and essential nutrients similar to a sow’s milk. The need to bottle-feed cubs is rare and done so with minimal human contact.Cubs quickly learn to feed from a heavy ceramic dish filled with whole milk yogurt mixed with fresh or frozen berries. They are especially fond of blueberry pie filling.Their solid diet is as varied as it would be in nature. Acorns collected during the previous fall are scattered about the enclosure to stimulate foraging behavior. Fruits of all description are provided, mostly donated by local produce stands and markets. Fresh corn, cabbage and broccoli are favored vegetables.“Human activity is kept to an absolute minimum throughout the whole process,” Uhler said. “Only one person has access to the cubs to place food and remove waste. “Observation is provided through a one-way glass.”Game commission personnel worked quickly to anesthetize all four cubs in preparation for transport. The young bears were weighed, given a final health examination, and fitted with uniquely numbered metal ear tags. All cubs appeared healthy and had gained weights of up to 80 pounds.A drizzling rain fell later that afternoon when the two Carbon County bears arrived at State Game Lands 57 in Forkston Township, Wyoming County. The remote release site was chosen because it provides easy access to lush food plots, ripening beech nuts, and expansive wetlands.The door of the culvert trap opened and both bears stepped into a green world without walls. Shaking off the last effects of anesthesia, one cub bounded after its sibling across a food plot, their black forms finally dissolving into a wall of beech brush.“Offering these cubs a second chance at survival was a rewarding experience,” said Wenner. “The exceptional efforts of game commission personnel and Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and Education staff made it possible.”