Ophaned Bear Cubs now at Wildlife Rehabilitation Facility

The two bear cubs who became orphans when their mother was struck and killed by a car this week in Suffolk are being cared for at the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro.  Veterinarians said both cubs appeared healthy, despite a 40 foot fall from a tree suffered by one after it was tranquilized by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

Officials determined both cubs were males.  At about 20 lbs each, they are considered somewhat small for their age.  The cubs will be fattened up and monitored before they are released into the wild.

The Wildlife Center of Virginia also cared for more wildlife from Hampton Roads earlier this year.  Three eaglets were removed from their nest at Norfolk Botanical Gardens in April when their mother was struck by a passenger jet.  The eaglets were raised at the Wildlife Center and released into the wild over the summer.

One of the center's resident bald eagles is a Norfolk native.  "Buddy" was rescued from his nest at Norfolk Botanical Gardens in 2008 when a bout with avian pox left him with a deformed beak.  It's believed Buddy would have difficulty surviving in the wild, so he lives at the center.  Officials there say they hope to use buddy in educational programs.

Link:
The Wildlife Center of Virginia