There were many repercussions when a black bear was shot in the early morning hours of Oct. 19.
Her cub, now named Flor, was suddenly orphaned and authorities weren’t sure what to do with 22-pound female.
As rumors swirled around Del Rio that the small cub was going to be euthanized, they were far from the truth. Texas Parks and Wild Life Department officials were trying to find the right home for her.
“There was never any consideration to euthanizing the bear,” said Jonah Evans, TXP&WD mammologist.
Cottonwood Rehabilitation Center is a small non-profit rehabilitation facility that’s helped return more than 600 bears to the wild, as small as cubs to full-grown black bears.
“The director there has rehabilitated and released 500 bears during her 36 years,” said Evans. “They specialize in techniques that help bears succeed once released.”
Although Cottonwood is devoted to black bears, they help numerous animals get back on their paws and claws. They have helped with oryx, javelina and have a golden eagle and owl there presently, in addition to Flor and several other bears
“You name a type of animal native to New Mexico and we have probably rehabbed it,” said Peter Horak, facility executive director, who’s been working around animal rehabilitation facilities his entire life. His mother, Dr. Kathleen Ramsey, founded the facility and been on the forefront of animal rehabilitation in New Mexico and the Southwest for 36 years.
However, when the black bear whose mother was killed in Del Rio arrived, it was one of the first black bears from this region. They named her Flor, Spanish for flower, as a salute to the region.
The first few days Flor has been there, she’s been in a solitary enclosure, being treated to eliminate any parasites she could have brought with her.
Friday night, Oct. 23, her enclosure was opened so she can interact with the cub next door that’s the same size as her. Horak said it may take them a bit to realize that they can interact but once they do, it should eliminate stress and give them a playmate of sorts.
Horak said it costs about $10,000 to feed Flor for six months.
“Our main mission with Flor right now is to fatten her up so when we release her, she’s got some excess weight. We want to get her to a healthy body weight,” Horak said.
Twice a day, Flor is receiving mush, consisting of milk substitute, honey, applesauce, baby oats and a herbivore supplement. “This helps increase her calorie count,” Horak said. “She should be weighing 60 pounds, meaning she wasn’t receiving enough natural food.“
The fact she is weighing half of her body weight is part of the reason she came into Del Rio, many theorize.
However, distance from her favorite foods is going to raise the rehabilitation center’s costs. “We will have to bring a lot of the acorns, dried bugs and cactus she will see when she is returned to the Devil’s River Natural Area,” Horak said.
The initial plan is for her to be released into the Devil’s River Natural Area when her weight gets to the point, she can safely be released in 6 to 12 months.
Horak has started a GoFundme campaign people can contribute to and help pay for Flor’s food while she’s in New Mexico. https://www.gofundme.com/f/flors-rehabilitation-cost?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=sms&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1
