California orphaned bear cub recovers after vets pull beanbag round, plastic cap from leg

After an orphaned black bear cub arrived at a California wildlife rehabilitation center, its injuries appeared to be relatively standard. 

But once veterinarians began surgery on the bear's injured leg, the situation turned far more alarming, with a beanbag round found lodged in its leg. 

Here's what to know

Melissa McCartney, the executive director of Gold Country Wildlife Rescue in Auburn, told KCRA that the cub was brought in after the California Department of Fish and Wildlife captured it in El Dorado County. 

Residents had reportedly seen the young bear wandering alone for more than a week, with no sign of its mother.

"People had noticed a bear going on over a week and they could not find its mother. They were hoping she would reappear," McCartney explained to the outlet, adding, "So that's when CDFW will step in. They'll find a suitable rehabilitation center, in this case us."

When the cub was admitted, staff saw that it was limping and had an obvious wound. Early imaging showed a compact grouping of metal beads in the leg, but because the cub was still relatively active and the injury appeared to be healing, the team chose not to operate immediately, per KCRA.

Once the wound opened back up, though, surgery became necessary, uncovering both the beanbag round and a plastic shell cap that was also embedded in the bear's leg. KCRA reported that while trained law enforcement officers can use beanbag rounds on adult bears, private citizens are not permitted to use them on the animals.

McCartney said the cub is now recovering and its wound continues to improve. If that progress holds, staff hope it can eventually be placed with the rescue's three other orphaned bear cubs before being returned to El Dorado County.

Where can I learn more?

This cub's ordeal reflects a bigger challenge facing wildlife teams in California and elsewhere: helping young animals survive while keeping them wary of people. The following articles examine how rehabilitation work, safer crossings, and coexistence efforts can help bears and other wild animals return home.

• At a California wildlife center, orphaned bear cubs pushed rescuers to make a remarkable decision.

• As a mama bear guided her cubs across traffic, viewers begged for wildlife overpasses.

• In California, rescuers kept orphaned bobcat kittens wild enough to return home.

Recovery often hinges on more than the immediate rescue. For many animals, long-term survival depends on coexistence tools and rehabilitation decisions that help them stay wild.

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