Bear cub burned in Tamarack fire missing after escaping Lake Tahoe wildlife care facility
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Tue, 08/03/2021 - 2:18pm
The bear cub burned in the Tamarack Fire, who was being rehabilitated at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, escaped from his enclosure and is missing.
Even though badly injured and bandaged up, the bear named Tamarack found his way out of the facility after being seen on cameras earlier in its enclosure Sunday night.
According to LTWC, the 25 to 28 pound bear cub was able to dig under a secured electrical fence, even with his burned and bandaged front paws. The injured cub was discovered July 25 by a Markleeville resident. Alpine County officials called Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, which located and transported the bear to their facility in South Lake Tahoe.
LTWC circulated flyers around the facility and are asking residents to be on the lookout for the small bear. They said on a flyer that Tamarack is most likely in a three-mile radius and they have put out "Have a Heart" live traps and cameras in the area.
The non-profit specializing in animal care on the South Shore since 1978 could not comment on the situation as the Department of Fish & Wildlife is now in charge of the case. A message left with the agency for comment has not been returned at this time.
If Tamarack still has bandages on they are blue and orange. The rear paws had bandages removed prior to his escape.
LTWC asks people to secure their dogs as the bear cub could be injured by a dog due to his small size. They believe he could be in the Heavenly Valley, Tahoe Sierra or Black Bart neighborhoods. He could be up a tree and scared and hungry. Most likely he'd be on the move in the evening and nighttime hours.
It is encouraging to his caregivers Tamarack felt well enough to escape, but he is still in need of care and too young to fend for himself. The plans were to keep him at the facility until the age of 1.5 years when he'd be ready to be on his own.
"Our goal is to quickly locate him for his own health, safety," said LTWC on the distributed flyer. "With help with the community we are hopeful for a quick recovery and appreciated assistance from the Lake Tahoe community in our efforts."
If anyone sees Tamarack, do not approach. Observe him and call LTWC at 530.577.2273.
