The cub had suffered extensive burns on her paws but was in otherwise good shape. After weeks of treatment, she is almost fully recovered. When she arrived, she was 10 pounds. Now, she weighs 26 pounds.<\/p>\n
Joe Lewandowski, spokesman for Parks and Wildlife, said bandages were applied for the last time on July 11, but the cub was still kept in an isolated pen as a precautionary measure.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, the cub was placed in a large pen with four other bear cubs.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s only been with the other bears for a couple of days, but she appears to be settling in with them,\u201d Sirochman said.<\/p>\n
The cubs are kept in a large, fully enclosed pen that is equipped with logs, platforms and metal den boxes, Lewandowski said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHuman contact is minimized so that the bears retain their wild instincts,\u201d he said. \u201cThe bears are fed a specially designed feed, but they\u2019re also provided cut branches full of native berries and some carrion.\u201d<\/p>\n
The idea is to get the bears\u2019 weight to about 90 pounds so they will have plenty of fat to make it through hibernation. CPW will then reduce the amount of feeding in December so the bears\u2019 natural instincts to hibernate kicks in.<\/p>\n In January, CPW will use hay bales and tree branches to create human-made dens in a remote area and place the bears inside. Then in the spring, the bears will wake up from hibernation and rely on their natural instincts to survive in the wild.<\/p>\n Sirochman said the rehabilitation center began receiving donations soon after the cub\u2019s rescue made news worldwide.<\/p>\n \u201cThe contributions were a total surprise, and we\u2019re very grateful for and appreciate the support,\u201d Sirochman said. \u201cThe money will be put to good use here.\u201d<\/p>\n