Three little bears

From the Facebook pages of our colleagues at the Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care facility:

It is 2pm on Monday, December 2, 2013. The 2013 cubs, all three of them (Meeks, Lebec & Truckee) are ready to enter their final stage of rehabilitation, that stage being 'Hibernation'! 

Saturday, Denise fed them a few apples and that was the last food they received from us. Just a few days before that, we gave them some fawn carcasses which we received from another wildlife group. As you can see on our web cam (#2 cam), we gave them some branches today. And, YES - - - they know exactly what to do with them. 

Later today, or possibly tomorrow, we will give them some bags of pine needles which we raked up from our property earlier this fall. They will use the pine needles to begin making their nest for the winter. Then, on Tuesday or Wednesday, we will throw in a few bundles of straw for the final touch of their bedding. 

The picture shown here is of me holding the Truckee bear cub, 

which arrived in July 2013, on his way to the vet to have an X-Ray 

and then have a cast put on his right rear leg, in which both bones

 were broken in the lower leg (Tibia and Fibula). The cast was on 

his leg for two weeks, removed, RE-X-Rayed, and a 'new' cast was 

applied for another two weeks. It was after four weeks of being

 'casted' that Dr. Willitts told us that he was good to go. 

So - - - we are in the final stage. CA Fish and Wildlife will come up some time during the winter months to get Truckee and Meeks to place them into a den they already have situated. Then, in the late winter/early spring, they will come and get Lebec and take him back down to the Grapevine area, where he came from. 

All three cubs are males. We did some bloodwork on Meeks about a month or so ago and his weight - at that time - was 98 pounds. Oh yes!!! They are in REALLY good shape!! Enjoy the next few days while they set up their 'Winter Quarters'. 

In case I don't get a chance, Cheryl and I would like to wish each of you a Happy Hanakkuh, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We will be working on the Dole Foods float again this year for the Rose Parade in Pasadena, so check that out on New Year's Day. I think I heard that we will be the 6th entry in the parade, so, VERY near the front! 

Also, if you need a tax write-off for 2013, remember Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care in mind. Your donation is tax decuctible. Just go to our web site (www.ltwc.org) and press the 'Donate' button. It is REAL easy! Thank you in advance for your support.

Tom Millham, Secretary/Treasurer

Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, Inc.