Two Orphaned Colorado Bear Cubs Released Back Into the Wild

It's one of the horrors of poaching in Colorado - and hopefully, the story of two orphaned bear cubs will have a happy ending.

Bear Cubs Lose Mother To Poacher

It was last July of last year when two Colorado bear cubs found themselves alone in the world with nobody to care for them and raise them to maturity. The mother bear was shot and killed south of Woodland Park - near Colorado Springs - in a suspected case of poaching. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is still hoping to catch the person responsible for killing the sow.

The two bear cubs have spent the past six months at the Wet Mountain Wildlife Rehabilitation in Wetmore until they are old enough to take care of themselves in the wild.

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Colorado Bear Cubs Get New Home

An artificial den was built for the bears on Pikes Peak. Before putting the bears in the den, wildlife offices attached GPS ear tag transmitters so officials can track the bears' progress. It's part of a new research project exploring what happens to the bears when they leave the den.

CPW says the GPS ear tags will allow the agency to track the movement of the bears once they emerge from hibernation in the spring, and then follow their progress as rehabbed adult bears. The tags will also provide important data in ongoing efforts to reduce human-bear wildlife conflicts in the Pikes Peak Region.

2 Orphaned Colorado Bears Released Back Into the Wild

When two Colorado bear cubs lost their mother to illegal poaching last summer, their future was very much in doubt. But, after rehabbing for six months the cubs were released back into the wild through the efforts of Colorado Parks & Wildlife in partnership with Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Here is a look at the bear cubs' journey back to the wild.

Colorado Wildlife: Wildlife You Have Recently Spotted in Colorado

Grand Junction has seen bighorn sheep, moose, bears, and more recently in Colorado. Here's a list of the wildlife that you have recently spotted in Colorado.

Filed Under: Colorado Wildlife