By Paula Peterson
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (LTWC) is in the process of addressing some issues at its bear enclosure so they can once again house small bears in need of care.
On July 25, a bear with burned paws was found at a Markleeville home after the residents returned after being evacuated due to the Tamarack Fire. The six-month-old, 20-pound bear was transported to LTWC in South Lake Tahoe for care. The bear was named “Tamarack” by the non-profit and underwent treatment for his burns.
Even though bandaged and still rehabilitating, the determined cub escaped from the care center during the night of August 1.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is in charge of directing injured and orphaned wildlife to facilities in the state. LTWC is currently a full fledged licensed rehabilitation facility for all native wildlife except for game species such as deer, elk, and black bears. They did have a second permit to care temporarily for black bear cubs under 50 pounds who were orphans or in need of care, but that permit expired in July, about the time Tamarack escaped.
In order to get their permit renewed, LTWC is working on addressing some facility issues identified by CDFW. Once those are fixed their permit can be renewed according to Peter Tira, PIO for CDFW.
“There is an application in to renew the secondary permit, and once things are fixed they’ll do another inspection, and then take up their application,” said Tira. “We need a facility in Tahoe, there is nothing more we want to do than renew their permit.”
There are only three other facilities in California that are permitted to take in bear cubs, one in each Auburn, Ramona and Santa Rosa. Tira said they have the state facility outside of Sacramento but it is small and not meant for any short- or long-term care.
Tira said there are currently 16 bears in care facilities in the state at this time, four are the result of fires and the other 12 are in rehabilitation. There were eight cubs housed at LTWC in 2020, most orphaned after their mothers were hit by cars.
A representative for LTWC said they have been working collaboratively with CDFW to make improvements to their enclosures and fencing at the new facility on Al Tahoe Blvd. Tamarack is the only animal to have escaped while under their care over the 43 years they’ve been in operation, though birds who rehabilitate sometimes fly away to hunt, only to return on their own.
“They have not lost any licenses but this situation has impacted their ability to care for bears,” said Tira. “They have been long, good partners with us, and I am sure it [permit] will be expedited once repairs are made. This has been a constructive, collaborative process.”
The “escape” of Tamarack made news around the globe with people hoping for his survival in the forest.
A cub believed to be Tamarack has been watched over via wilderness cameras by Toogee Sielsch, a Lake Tahoe bear advocate. After his escape, Tamarack was seen following a mother bear and her cubs, learning where the sow was showing her cubs where food was and other survival lessons. CDFW was also watching this cub and decided he was doing well on his own, gaining weight and surviving so chose not to tag him or try and bring him back into a rehabilitation facility.