Brevard Zoo staff raising orphaned black bear cub

A furry new friend is now being raised at Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Fla. — an adorable black bear cub!

brevard zoo

In late February, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) personnel responded when a member of the public found a weeks-old black bear cub alone on a dirt road in Ocala National Forest.

FWC staff took the cub with them as they searched the area for his mother, and kept him overnight as temperatures were expected to drop into the 30s. A remote camera was set up over a blanket with the cub’s scent, but no adult female ever appeared.

brevard zoo

FWC had the cub examined by a veterinarian and took care of him for several days, which involved placing him in an incubator and bottle-feeding him every few hours.

Because he was abandoned at such a young age, the cub isn’t a candidate for release back into the wild, so FWC transferred him to Brevard Zoo for long-term care.

brevard zoo

The cub, who is about six weeks old, is now healthy, feeding well and has opened his eyes. He is fed every four hours around the clock, including at night.

To learn more about Brevard Zoo, visit BrevardZoo.com.

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