Orphaned Estes Park Bear Cubs Begin Rehab Process

Three orphaned black bear cubs taken from inside the Estes Park city limits are getting a new start at Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Frisco Creek wildlife facility near Del Norte in the San Luis Valley.

The three cubs were orphaned last Thursday after their mother was euthanized for attempting to break into a home on Ponderosa Drive in Estes Park. It was the sow’s third reported residential break-in of the summer; she had also caused damage at a local business in her search of food.

That sow become known in the town as “Scarface” because of wounds sustained on her snout two years ago when she touched a power line. Due to her comfort being around people, she was deemed a threat to human health and safety.

The rehabilitation center now plays an important role in the development of these cubs. The cubs are isolated from people to deter habituation. The Frisco Creek Center also prepares these cubs for winter hibernation.

“We are not taking them away. We are not putting them in a zoo. We are not killing them,” said Michael Sirochman, Frisco Creek wildlife facility manager. “We are successfully returning them to the wild once they are ready to be self-sufficient.”

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