DURANGO, Colo. — A bear injured in a wildfire west of Durango in June has healed and was released into the wild on Monday.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officers took the bear to a remote location not far from where it was found. CPW said the bear hesitated for about a minute while it sniffed its new surroundings before it dashed from a pickup truck into the cover of the aspen forest.
“Now he’s got food, he’s got water, he’s got everything he needs,” said CPW officer Steve McClung, “And I hope I never see him again.”
Firefighters on the East Canyon Fire found the injured bear June 16 and notified CPW's Durango office. The bear did not move, indicating it was in a lot of pain, according to CPW.
The 2-year-old male bear was tranquilized and taken to CPW’s Frisco Creek wildlife rehabilitation facility in Del Norte.
Technicians cleaned the bear’s paws, applied salves to treat the burns and wrapped its feet. The bear was kept in a pen with concrete floors to ensure the wounds stayed clean, CPW said.
Fortunately, the bear did not tear off the bandages, as a bear rescued from a fire two years ago had done.
“He was a good patient,” said Michael Sirochman, a veterinary technician and manager of the Frisco Creek facility.
The bear’s bandages were changed 16 times from mid-June to mid-July. The bear was given a pen with trees to climb and places to hide.
“He’s now about the weight he should be for a 2-year-old bear and is in good shape for going into the fall,” Sirochman said.
CPW said the bear has well-developed instincts to survive in the wild and no tracking devices was placed on it. The bear is now on its own.
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