4 min read Orphaned Bear Cubs Are Getting New Moms In The Smartest Way

This past winter, biologists with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have made it their mission to help orphaned bear cubs in the best way possible - by finding them new wild mothers (and siblings) to live with. This venture, known as the DNR Surrogate Sow Program, aims to pair up motherless cubs with surrogates at least twice a year, according to a press release from the department.

The magic behind this undertaking involves finding a mother bear who already has young cubs and planting the orphaned baby cub right alongside her other children in her den. The DNR then places radio collars on the mother bears in order to keep track of them should they be needed as surrogates again. Perhaps the most difficult part of pairing orphaned cubs with surrogate bear moms is actually finding the dens of mothers with children. Mark Boersen, a wildlife biologist with the DNR, said in the press release that while it does take the staff time, the process itself isn't very costly. Bears in Michigan give birth every other year and the staff primarily depends on landowners and hunters to alert the DNR to bear dens.

Once an appropriate den has been located and the mother is confirmed to have cubs, the DNR sets out for the den. First, the mother bear is sedated. Then she is collared, given a full body exam and marked with identifiers such as a lip tattoo. The mother bear is then placed back into their den with her new, orphaned cub in tow to greet upon her awakening.