www.BeartoDream.org
Dawn Brown, wildlife rehabilitator and executive director of Second Chance Wildlife, Inc Bear Rehabilitation and Research is shown with ‘Survivor’, ‘Forest’ & ‘Spruce’ as the cubs are sedated and readied to be transported for winter placement in the wild.
These three cubs came from the remote forest in the northwest area of Maine near the Quebec border. Their den was inadvertently disturbed during a managed forestry operation. The mother, as is common after having been disturbed, abandoned the cubs. They were brought to Second Chance Wildlife where Dawn has cared for them and kept very detailed records of their development. Her work helps IF&W biologists better understand the development of these animals that are then radio-collared before being placed back into the wild for future study.
To learn more about her work, visit www.BeartoDream.org…
To read more about Dawn’s work in Maine Nature News, Weekly Notes, March 17, 2013…
The following are her notes:
(Survivor, Forest, Spruce 3-27-13 to 1-13-14: Just a bit of data I have) © Dawn L. Brown Bear cub data (3 small cubs arrived on: 3-27-13 In Need of immediate care) Bottle feeding From: 3-27-13 to 6-4-13 = 156 X 3) Cubs even during bottle feeding were starting to forage on green-up, and once weaned they more profoundly foraged = That Is a substantial part of their diet during their development; they too were getting Iams puppy show, and apple chunks/supplement feeding. During the early stages of the rehabilitation process; I had used esbilac formula ,and as time went on ;I started to mix Lambs milk powder formula with the esbilac ½ & ½ ration (I also weighed the cubs periodically during this process. Other immediate care supplements I too administered to the cubs and were necessary = Nurse-Mate/colostrums, Beneback, Electrolytes, and I used steam often mimicking a incubator for when the cubs were very young, and the smallest female-Survivor during this process needed a bit extra care to catch up to the other 2 cubs Spruce & Forest, and she certainly had done that=she turned out to be the toughest little cub of the bunch. I had documented their care, development, and behavior during their 9 ½ month stay and I am very pleased with the results!
Born approximately 1st or 2nd week of February 2013 5/6 weeks age=eyes just barely opened on arrival (2 female cubs, and 1 Male cub arrived In need of care) (I weighed cubs periodically during development, and the biologist weighed them when put under anesthesia / during tagging, and again later when released-they also collared, and tattooed cubs/near yearlings at this time frame.
SURVIVOR (1) Small female cub weight =2lbs on arrival 3-27-13 (I weighed her again on 4-7-13 weight = 4 lbs) (weight gain in 11 days = 2lbs) (Weighed her again on 4-14-13 = 6 lbs (weight gain In 18 days = 4lbs) Biologist weighed cubs on: *6-24-13 Survivor weighed 18 lbs – I broke down weight gain = Survivor gained 12 lbs within a 71 day time frame.*1-13-14 Survivor weighed 56 lbs (Winter den release) – I broke down weight gain = Survivor gained 38 lbs In a 200 day time frame.(SURVIVOR HAD A TOTAL OVERALL WEIGHT GAIN FROM 3-27-13 to 1-13-14 = She gained 54 lbs In a 287 day time frame= I had these cubs approximately 9 ½ months In rehab, and I cared for her ,and observed her development and behavior ).
SPRUCE (1) Female cub weight=2 ½lbs on 3-27-13) ( I weighed again on 4-7-13= 4½) (weight gain In 11 days = 2 lbs) (I weighed her again on 4-14-13 = 6 lbs (weight gain In 18 days = 3 ½ lbs) Biologist weighed cubs on: *6-24-13 Spruce weighed 19 lbs -I broke down weight gain = Spruce gained 13 lbs within a 71 day time frame.
* 1-13 -14 Spruce weighed 54 lbs (winter den release)-I broke down weight gain = spruce gained 35 lbs in a 200 day time frame. (SPRUCE HAD A TOTAL OVERALL WEIGHT GAIN FROM 3-27-13 to 1-13-14 = She gained 51 ½ lbs In a 287 day time frame= I had these cubs approximately 9 ½ months in rehab, and I cared for her, and observed her development and behavior).
FOREST (1) Male cub weight =2 ½ lbs on 3-27-13) (weighed again on 4-7-13 = 4 ½) ( weight gain In 11 days = 2lbs) (Weighed him again on 4-14-13 = 6 lbs) (weight gain In 18 days = 3 ½ lbs) Biologist weighed cubs on: *6-24-13 Forest weighed 25 lbs -I broke down weight gain = 22 ½ lbs In a 71 day time frame *1-13-14 Forest weighed 77 lbs (Winter den release)-I broke down weight gain = Forest gained 52 lbs In a 200 day time frame. (FOREST HAD A TOTAL OVERALL WEIGHT GAIN FROM 3-27-13 to 1-13-14 =He gained 74 ½ lbs In a 287 day time frame=I had these cubs approximately 9 ½ months In rehab, and I cared for him, and observed his development and behavior)
Note: These cubs were from up above piston farms; logging incident-Logger: Ron Libby Wagner was part of the logging crew, and he saved these tiny cubs, The Warden involved was: Paul Mason.
On behalf of your work with the bears, Maine Nature News says “Thank You Dawn”!
