Wildlife | Mississippi black bear program rescues deserted cub – Every day Chief

WOODVILLE — Anthony Ballard mentioned a bear cub was rehomed in Wilkinson County after being deserted by its mom final week. He serves because the Mississippi Division of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks Bear Program Coordinator.

MDWFP’s bear program spends the summer time trapping and collaring bears to examine dens in early March.

“Someday you are attempting to deposit a Dan examine and that is the opposite aspect of the coin,” Ballard mentioned. “You are inspecting what you’ve got labored with and also you’re watching the bear’s life progress. You see it and the survival of the cubs. It is cool, I all the time love Dean Test Season. Like. There are nonetheless loads of issues to repair however I am actually having fun with it.

It was because of a routine den examine that the bear program was in a position to save the deserted bear cub final Thursday.

Ballard mentioned the kid was born within the southern Delta area of Mississippi. MDWFP performed a routine examine of the den and located a younger feminine bear, referred to as Soo, who was not anticipated to offer start this yr because of her age and frequent actions. Recreation cameras and collar location information indicated that the sow had left the tree base and deserted her cub.

On the similar time, a sow in Wilkinson County with two males and one feminine was being monitored as a doable match. An impending rain storm and considerations about path circumstances for the cub required biologists to work shortly to choose up the cub and transfer it to the Wilkinson County Dwarf.

“It isn’t fairly often {that a} bear cub is launched. We have needed to cope with it lower than 5 instances within the 21 years that Mississippi has had a bear program,” Ballard mentioned. “I feel the dwarf, a younger feminine, had her first baby and it is normally the primary baby when you surrender. That is true of any animal. She’s nonetheless that. Making an attempt to determine the right way to elevate youth.

Ballard mentioned the cub was taken to Wilkinson County the place biologists put Vicks VapoRub on the noses of all 4 bear cubs and the older sow so all of them smelled the identical. She added that maternal instincts kick in and the bear takes care of all of the cubs.

Dean examine routine

Mississippi and another state within the Southeast that has a black bear program conduct den checks within the spring to watch reproductive success and developments over time. Ballard mentioned they search for solutions to questions reminiscent of whether or not sows are pregnant, what the typical litter measurement is and whether or not they look wholesome.

Biologists are in a position to get an estimate of survival by tagging bears in pits. The pit tag incorporates a novel barcode to establish the bear all through its lifetime historical past. Youngsters outfitted with pit tags on den checks know the date vary.

Throughout den testing, organic information is collected from the pups. Ballard mentioned they take a look at bodily measurements of pads, physique size and cranium. MDWFP weighs the pups and data a basic evaluation of physique situation together with what the coat seems like. Biologists additionally sexualize youngsters. This course of takes 15 to twenty minutes.

Ballard mentioned Dean Cheeks this yr has been fairly regular apart from re-homing a child. MDWFP has 22 collared bears statewide, 11 of that are females. He added that the division checked 5 of them. Solely two of the ladies examined in these bases had youngsters.

Finding bases could be a problem. GPS reception is not all the time good, Ballard mentioned, so he depends on a VHF frequency transmitter to find out the bear’s small space. MDWFP biologists fly in airplanes with VHF antennas to get the overall location of bases.

Ballard mentioned the following step is to go and determine the easiest way to get to the den. Wind path and what gear they could want in preparation for Dan checks. Biologists should then sedate the sows to finish a den examine.

“Ideally you attempt to dart them and as soon as they’re within the den we take the children out to gather information after which wake it up once we’re performed,” Ballard mentioned. give,” Ballard mentioned. “One of many sedatives we use is a reverse agitator. It is a two-part injection. We give him 15 to half-hour and he is awake and alert.

MDWFP plans to host Beer Week on social media this Might to proceed educating the general public about native species. Black bears have made a comeback in Mississippi, and bear sightings set a file in 2023 because of elevated public consciousness.