An orphaned black bear cub is one step closer to living a healthy life after being rescued by a community in Northern California.
Over the weekend, residents in El Dorado County, about 113 miles northeast of Stockton, took to Facebook to share their encounters with a lone, hairless black bear cub in the area. Following cries for help from the community, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife initiated a search for the cub, department Public Information Officer Peter Tira said.
It was ultimately El Dorado resident Susan Browning and her husband who found, captured and brought the cub to Gold Country Wildlife Rescue in Auburn, California, according to the California Wolf Foundation . The cub remains at the rescue, where it underwent a full health exam and has received initial treatment. Gold Country Wildlife Rescue is one of only four wildlife rescues permitted to treat and rehabilitate black bears in California, Tira said.
Though the bear is now being cared for properly, capturing wildlife in California is illegal.