Black bears are incredible creatures in their natural habitat—powerful and majestic. That’s why it’s heartbreaking to see them suffer, wasting away to the point of near starvation.
In December 2024, animal experts at Gold Country Wildlife Rescue (GCWR) in North Auburn, California, received news of a tragic case. While they were no strangers to heartbreaking rescues, this one shook them to their core.
They found a young black bear struggling to survive in El Dorado County. The bear was suffering from dehydration, anemia, and a severe skin infection. He was curled up in his cage, staring at his enormous paws.
“It was heartbreaking to see the bear in such terrible shape,” Chelsea Engberg, marketing and public relations manager at GCWR, told The Dodo . The combination of being an orphan and severely malnourished likely set off a chain reaction that led to his health quickly deteriorating before rescuers could intervene. Rescuers performed a thorough examination and developed a meticulous treatment plan for the suffering bear. Weighing just 20 pounds, everyone knew his road to recovery would be difficult. But they were determined to do everything in their power to save him.
Little bear recovers
After weeks of care, the cub’s once-bald face began to show signs of new fur growth. “While this may seem like a small change, the fact that we are starting to see some fur on his face is an exciting next step in his healing journey,” GCWR shared in a Facebook update. As time went on, hope grew among the rescue team. The cub began to show his wild, playful side, enjoying the toys and enrichment items in his enclosure, from a kiddie pool to a fire hose hammock. The team kept their distance to give him the best chance of being released back into the wild. By February, the transformation was astonishing — the cub looked like a whole new bear.
“We’re always in awe of the wild animals we care for, and this little bear is one of the most incredible recoveries we’ve ever seen,” Engberg said. In February 2025, when The Dodo reported this story, experts said they needed more time to decide on the bear’s future. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will ultimately decide whether he’ll be released into the wild or remain in a protected sanctuary. Either way, everyone involved clearly has his best interests at heart. For now, the cub remains in the care of GCWR, where staff are deeply moved by his incredible resilience. “He was in such bad shape when he arrived that in many ways he didn’t even resemble a bear,” Engberg said. “The fact that he’s grown most of his fur back and remains wild and uninterested in humans is something that everyone at GCWR takes pride in every day.”
The little bear finds a new home
Then, on May 13, GCWR posted a touching update on its Facebook page, along with a new photo of the once-suffering bear, who now looks almost unrecognizable. They said CDFW had decided the pup would not be returned to the wild, but would be transferred to a sanctuary.
“If you haven’t seen this pup before, he came to us late last year sick and almost completely hairless. He will soon be getting his final checkup and vaccinations, so he will be ready to go to his forever sanctuary home when they are ready to take him in. Stay tuned for updates as they come in,” they wrote.
Although this poor bear had an incredibly difficult start in life, he has managed to turn things around with the help of the dedicated team at Gold Country Wildlife Rescue — and we couldn’t be happier! “His journey highlights the value of team care in wildlife rehabilitation,” says Dana Fasolett, GCWR’s Director of Animal Care.