Govind Tekale
A baby black bear is beating the odds at San Diego’s Ramona Wildlife Center. The two-month-old cub arrived weak and hungry last month. Now he’s active, playful, and growing stronger every day.
Campers spotted the lonely cub in Los Padres National Forest on April 12, 2025. Wildlife experts first tried to help him find his mom. They placed him back in the forest overnight, hoping she would return. When she didn’t come back, they knew the tiny bear needed help fast.
“He was extremely fragile when he arrived,” says Autumn Welch, who manages wildlife operations at the center. “Those first few days were touch-and-go. But now he’s active, eating well, and gaining weight steadily.”
This little bear’s case is special. In the past five years, California has only seen four bear cubs this young needing rescue care. The Ramona center is perfectly equipped for the job – it’s the only place in San Diego County that can care for big wild animals like bears, mountain lions, and bobcats.
The staff provides four enrichment and feeding sessions each day. These sessions mimic maternal behaviors. This matters because the cub needs to grow up wild, not tame. If he gets too comfortable around people, he won’t survive in the forest later.
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The rescue team takes extra steps to keep the cub wild. They never name their wild patients. They limit human contact. They use special techniques during feeding time to make sure the cub doesn’t start thinking of humans as family.
This tiny bear has a long road ahead. He’ll need care for about a year before he’s ready to return to the forest. If another baby bear needs help somewhere in California, the wildlife team might introduce them. Young bears do better when they grow up with other bears – it helps them learn proper wild bear behavior.
“We don’t often see bears this young without their mother,” Welch explains. “It’s both an honor and a huge responsibility to care for him.”
The wildlife center runs purely on donations from people who care about helping wild animals. Every feeding and enrichment activity depends on public support. But the ultimate reward will come when this little bear grows strong enough to return to his forest home.
The cub’s remarkable recovery shows what dedicated wildlife care can do. In just one month, he’s gone from fighting for survival to thriving under expert care. His journey from helpless orphan to strong, wild bear is just beginning, but he’s already shown he has what it takes to make it.
