5 orphaned bear cubs found in southern Colorado to be released back into the wild

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Five bear cubs that were found orphaned in Colorado Springs and Woodland Park over the summer are being released back into the wild on Thursday, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).

CPW said that three of the orphaned cubs were recovered in a Broadmoor-area neighborhood in southwest Colorado Springs back in July. The two other cubs were found in a neighborhood north of Woodland Park in August.

On Dec. 4, CPW officers will be retrieving the cubs from its Frisco Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation Facility in the San Luis Valley and taking them to two separate locations in the region to release them.

The cubs' release comes after two of them were fitted with GPS ear tag transmitters through a data-gathering partnership with the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The transmitters will allow CPW to track the bears' movement after their release through early adulthood.

CPW says urban bear conflict is a recurring issue the region is facing, especially involving bears attracted to food or trash near homes and businesses. The transmitters are part of an ongoing study into the effectiveness of rehabilitating orphaned bear cubs, which the agency says is crucial to future mitigation efforts. 

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