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I NEED A HUG!Four orphaned bear cubs are sleeping in cozy snow dens after losing their moms last summer and spending most of the winter at a rehab facility.
Colorado Division of Wildlife managers moved the four cubs to the Grand Mesa on Tuesday March 11th. 2008, dug hollows in deep snow, gently placed the young bears inside and left them sleeping.
"The dens all were dug on north-facing slopes, so the snow will stay as late as possible," allowing them to hibernate for another month or two, said Dept. Of Wildlife spokesman Randy Hampton.
Every year, there are orphaned bear cubs. But last summer there were more than usual because the scramble for scarce food created more human vs. bear conflicts.
DOW officials brought more than a dozen to the nonprofit Pauline S. Schneegas Wildlife Foundation in Silt.
There, wildlife rehabilitation expert Nancy Limbach and her colleagues taught them to search for their own food and to be wary of humans.
Of the four cubs transferred to Grand Mesa, at least one was abandoned by Mom.
"When there are food shortages, the mother will walk off and abandon the cubs if the cubs are slowing her down - it's a survival mechanism," Hampton said.
Another's mother got hit by a car, and another's mother was a repeat offender in conflicts with people and had to be taken down.
Hibernation isn't a deep state of unconsciousness, but more like a long sleep in which the bears can hear loud sounds but don't feel much like investigating them, and don't need to eat or drink.
At least one cub was wide awake for part of the ride to Grand Mesa, biting on its cage.
Limbach's foundation relies on donations for operating funds.
Rocky Mountain News, Colorado
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My family used to mow lawn for my granddaddy, and one time we ran over a nest with five baby bunnies in it. We watched for the mom to come back but she never did. So we took the bunnies home, and kept them in a box. We called our veterinarian and went to get special formula for them and began feeding them with eye droppers. The vet was sure we would not be able to raise them since they were so young. Well we did raise them, and when they got to big for box we gated off the front porch and they ran around there. When it came time to release all five of them, we took them to a woody area near the river. We didn't want them anywhere near highways or roads. Donna ~ Penna.
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My son David, was working himself through college as a phone company rep, in Atlanta. One day he saw this Chow was so hungry looking and just hung around the mall looking for something to eat .... he knew the dog had been abandoned....
For weeks he fed that Chow everyday, even on his days off he went and took the dog food. It was able to get water.
Dave would talk to the dog, and try to pet him ... The dog would just run away. Sometimes the dog would allow Dave to just touch him. Dave knew that he had to do something to further help that dog, because he had been abandoned so long that the dog collar had grown into the dogs neck. However he just would not let Dave get tooooo close, he would run away first.
Finally Dave made the decision of calling the Human Society for "HELP" in catching the dog. Of course they came ... took info from Dave ... then got in touch with Dave and set up a meeting. Dave wanted to adopt this dog. He went to the meeting at the Human Society. They told him the dog was vicious and they could not allow him to adopt him. Dave told how as kid we had many dogs including a Chow. He just sat there with tears running down his face. All he could do was ask if he could see "Austin" one more time .. How could they refuse that request!!
When they let Dave see him, at first, of course they did not want to let the dog out of the cage. But they did, and that big black Chow came up to Dave, and started licking his face. Needless to say, they did surgery to remove the embedded collar, and Dave has had Austin now for about 7 or 8 years. Since he adopted another dog also. Austin and Mia get along very well.
And you know what, Austin also gives me kisses!
Judy from Florida
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This is a story about my wife Pearl a couple of years ago using a live trap for squirrels, no we never hurt them, but transfered them to a park
because they would destroy the bird feeders we have.
Anyway a raccoon found his way in and got trapped. At 3 am Pearl heard the racket going on and went out and got the raccoon out. It went about 2 feet from the trap and I swear it turned around and said thank you.
Rollie Starry from Minnesota
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This is Bluejay12's story about saving a woodpecker ~ click here to read.
The title of song on this page is "Beautiful Symphony" and when we can relate to each other and animals, it is indeed beautiful music.
Testimonies Page 3!
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