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February 8, 2006Adoption just right for some bear cubsMama bears sought to help raise orphansROSCOMMON - Two black bears in northern Lower Michigan could become surrogate moms to orphaned cubs.A state Department of Natural Resources monitoring program located two sows in the wild and radio-collared them last year - the first of 10 to be tabbed as potential surrogates. "Bears are a very charismatic species. The public has made it clear they want to see them placed back in the wild, when orphaned cubs are found," said Mark Boersen, DNR wildlife biologist. An average of two to four orphaned bear cubs are discovered each year and end up back in the woods after a stay at a rehabilitation facility, said Dave Bostick, DNR state bear coordinator. Two cubs found in May 2005 were "too feisty to weigh" but probably were between eight and 10 pounds each, Boersen added. The radio-collar program is designed to track bear movement and help the DNR find up to 10 female bears on different reproductive cycles, Boersen said. Future orphans could be placed with a female bear that already has cubs of the same age. "And they will take those cubs, especially if we get to them while they are still denned," Boersen said, citing successful cases in the Upper Peninsula and other states. Bear dens reported to DNR officials this year turned out to be empty, however. Without new tips from Michigan residents, there may not be any additional bears for the program this year. "We'll revisit the ones we did last year and see how they're doing," Boersen said. Biologists will check radio-collars and also tag yearlings, now old enough to be sedated in the field. An estimated 1,800 black bears roam northern Lower Michigan and 255 were killed in the 2005 hunting season. Den sites are sought throughout the area and those who encounter bear dens are asked to record the location with a global positioning device, if possible, and telephone Boersen at the DNR Roscommon Operations Center at (989) 275-5151. Over the years, orphaned cubs have created public awareness of the state's black bear population, said Jason Dinsmore, resource policy specialist with Michigan United Conservation Clubs. The awareness grew into concern about "how these cubs are handled and where they end up."
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