Tahoe Wildlife Care: Layton released back into the wild

In the 18 years that Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care have been caring for bear cubs, 96 have passed through their doors. Most of those 96 have wintered at the facility on Cherry Hills Circle, and today, Layton, left his temporary home in South Lake Tahoe and went back Laytonville, Calif., the area he was found in.

Late in the evening on June 23, 2017, Layton arrived at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care after being found alone, full of mites, foxtails, ticks and underweight. He weighed in at 15 pounds and was about four or five months old.

The home of Tom and Cheryl Millham, the founders of the nonprofit, has been a refuge for animals in need since 1978. In 2000, Cheryl went to the Idaho Black Bear Rehab center and trained with founder Sally Maughan. Once she completed the training, Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (LTWC) was able to take in bear cubs for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

LTWC is the only place in California north of the San Diego area that can rehab bear cubs.

Early in the morning on April 4, Dr Kevin Willitts of Alpine Animal Hospital in South Lake Tahoe arrived to start the process of getting Layton back to his home turf.

CA Fish & Wildlife veterinarian Dr. Brandon Munk, toxicologist Stella McMillan, and veterinarian student from the University of Georgia, Priya Subbarayan, arrived shortly after.

Tom and the vets went into the bear enclosure with a dissociative anesthetia to immobilize Layton with so they could take him out and prepare him for the trip north. Both Tom and Dr. Willitts came out with scratches on their hands as one of the female cubs inside decided to defend/protect Layton.

Once safely out, Layton was carried up into the exam room at LTWC where he was weighed, blood and urine was withdrawn and a new ear tag was added. The samples will be used for data which is stored at the wildlife lab in Sacramento.

Layton now weighs 83.9 pounds, fur is soft, skin is free of the ticks and mites he arrived with.

Blood that was drawn from bears at LTWC in the early years allowed Willitts and others to know that cubs are anemic, just as babies are. They were able to prove it was normal with testing of all cubs at the center.

While cubs are in the immobilized state the veterinarians take advantage of the patient's state and take many samples for research and data.

Layton's new tag was applied to his ear. Dr. Mund said they are looking into GPS ear collars that work off of cell towers and even come with a small solar panel to power the unit. Wildlife staff can then follow the bear throughout the rest of it's life.

One other club recently left LTWC in the same way. Burns went back to Burns Canyon by Big Bear Lake, leaving two from the local area as the only cubs left at LTWC. Sky (for Skyline) and Bliss (for DL Bliss) will be taken home in the next few weeks.