Orphaned Bear Cub Captured In Orange County

WARWICK, NY — A bear cub is heading to rehab after being captured in Orange County. On June 14, an environmental conservation officer was contacted by the Warwick Police Department about a bear cub spotted near a heavily traveled road.

Environmental Conservation Officer Jon Walraven responded and was met on the scene by Warwick police officers and the state police.

The officers were concerned because a larger bear had been killed the previous night in a motor vehicle accident, and there was no sign of the cub’s mother anywhere near it.

Walraven and the other officers tried to capture the cub, but it successfully evaded their efforts and hid in a nearby wooded area.

Walraven contacted senior Department of Environmental Conservation Wildlife Biologist Matt Merchant for assistance.

Soon after he arrived, the cub was seen making its way toward the road, and the group was able to capture it.

The cub was taken by DEC Wildlife staff to a licensed rehabilitator for care and eventual release back into the wild when it is older and stronger.

Photo credit: NYS DEC.