Young Black Bear Missing From Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care

NEVADA – The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care are requesting the public’s assistance in identifying a young, orphaned black bear that escaped from LTWC’s rehabilitation facility on Al Tahoe Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe, where it had resided since mid-December.

The 13-month-old male black bear weighs roughly 50 pounds, is microchipped, and has a metal tag with the number 1028 visible in its right ear. The bear escaped from the LTWC’s outside area at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 9.

The bear was rescued from the Seiad Valley in Siskiyou County on December 13, 2022, as it was too young to survive on its own and weighed just 20 pounds. The bear was transferred to the Wildlife Health Lab of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in Rancho Cordova for a veterinarian examination and was confirmed to be in otherwise good health. The bear was transferred to the LTWC for rehabilitation and potential return to the wild. In two months of care at LTWC, the bear gained thirty pounds.

The little bear is not in imminent danger and does not pose a threat, but it is considered that it is too young to survive on its own for an extended period of time, especially considering the deep snow and harsh winter circumstances in South Lake Tahoe.

Due to the cold weather, the CDFW and LTWC are advising residents and visitors of the South Shore of Lake Tahoe to keep an eye out for the bear but not to aggressively search for it or approach it if spotted. The bear dislikes humans and can be extremely timid. Please keep visual contact with the bear if possible when reporting sightings.

Report sightings and suggestions to CDFW at (916) 358-2917 or LTWC at (530) 577-2273. The CDFW is searching for the bear and conducting an investigation into its escape.

Credits: Carson Now