State biologists on Wednesday captured an orphaned brown bear cub residents have been watching on Lutak Road beaches.
The male cub weighed about 15 pounds, said Ryan Scott, area game biologist for the state Department of Fish and Game. He said it looked like a big football. It has a “natal ring,” a white ring around its neck common to brown bear cubs.
“He was booking to town. He’s probably malnourished,” said nature tour operator Dan Egolf. The cub was near the Lutak Army tank farm property Wednesday, attracting attention from cruise ship tour clients on buses passing by.
Resident Kevery Strunk was one of several residents watching the animal Saturday near 7 Mile Lutak. “It looked like a little puppy running around on the beach. It’s a cute little devil. You kind of want to help it out, but you never know. The mama could be right there in the woods.”
Strunk said the bear appeared to be stumbling and may have been starved for protein.
Assistant area game biologist Anthony Crupi watched the cub for about a half hour Saturday near 8 Mile. He said the cub was very active and moving around well.
Biologists don’t know what happened to its mother. Sows typically keep in close proximity to cubs, but separations can occur, Scott said Monday, waiting for a reunion between the cub and its mother. “It appears the cub probably is an orphan, but we’re kind of hoping for the best.”
Brown bears are born in dens around February and sows with cubs are usually the last bears to leave the den, Scott said. He said it would be “a little surprising” for a sow and a cub to come down to an open beach. “They’re usually cautious with the little guys.”
Earlier in the week, biologists cautioned residents to stay away from the cub, as only biologists or designated representatives can handle or feed bears.
“The last thing we want is for people to feed it or try to adopt it or anything like that. If you start doing that, you’re going to create a bigger issue. You’re going to set the stage for problems down the road. The bear will associate people with food. That’s going to create problems for everybody, including the bear,” Scott said.
According to the bear group Ursus International, cubs that lose mothers in their first year are severely disadvantaged, as they typically spend two years learning foraging and feeding behaviors from their mothers.
Biologist Crupi said Tuesday there was currently not a placement for a brown bear cub at a zoo or similar facility.
Sows can be taken in the brown bear hunt that’s currently open, but only ones without cubs, Scott said. He said he doubted the cub was orphaned by the hunt.