WDFW Reveals What Happened to the Bear Moved Mid-Hibernation

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A bear in Washington State was transported while he was hibernating to a safe location, and the first photos of his awakening were taken, showing the success of the transfer to a new home.

WDFW Game Camera Captures Incredible Ending to Bear Rescue Story

The black bear made headlines last year as the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife got calls about him getting set up to hibernate near a home in Stevens County.

Washington Bear Relocation Called a Success After Months of Hibernation

The bear had found an abandoned home and was preparing to hibernate in the crawl space, but residents were concerned about the proximity to other homes in the area.

So the WDFW organized a team to move the bear while it hibernated. They managed to build a new den for the bear with hopes that it wouldn’t notice that its den had been compromised.

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The bear has been sleeping away in his new den since January, and now the first glimpses of the bear have been captured on video and cameras.

March 20th was the first sighting of the bear waking up from his slumber, and the WDFW reports the bear is active and even looking a little portly from his long winter nap.

In a posting from the WDFW:

From game cam photos, we know the bear was popular with the locals- it had two wolf visits and three occasions where a cougar stopped by, all while the bear slept. He was also investigated by a skunk and appears to have had a squirrel as a roommate, as it shows up in many photos.

 

It’s great news and a good job, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, for giving this bear a second chance.

You can check out more videos and photos below: