The Arizona Game and Fish Department has released three bear cubs in the wild after they were rescued last year after their mother was hit and killed by a vehicle near Oracle.
Wildlife officials say the cubs were relocated in a remote area in central Arizona with help from the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center. Game and Fish said in a written statement at the time of last year’s accident, the cubs, all females, were rescued by Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers with assistance from the Hayden Police Department and a good Samaritan.
They were transported by Game and Fish to the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale for care, where they have been for the past year.
Before being released, the bears were tranquilized, given a health assessment, and each fitted with a GPS ear tag. The ear tags send tracking data to a satellite, which is then downloaded to a computer. That allows biologists to monitor the bears’ movements within their habitat and will assist in bear management in the future.
