The document discusses the work of Idaho Black Bear Rehab, Inc. (IBBR) in rehabilitating orphaned and injured black bears near an urban area in Garden City, Idaho over the past 25 years. Key aspects of their successful program include socializing cubs with other bears during rehabilitation, ensuring cubs are in good health before release, releasing bears into areas with suitable habitat, and minimizing human interactions in the first 30 days post-release. Through specialized care and facilities that accommodate bears of varying ages and needs, IBBR has rehabilitated over 200 bears, with the majority presumed to be living successfully in the wild.

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As IBBR continues to affect positive change in the lives of individual
bears and world-wide bear populations, we’ve developed additional
programs that will help to educate the public about bear rehab and
the wild environment of bears.
As a part of those efforts, we
continue to introduce our Be BearWise
initiative in communities and parks
around the state of Idaho. We hope
that our efforts will make a lasting
and positive impact on wild bear populations
and on the people who live and recreate in black bear habitat.
Why do BearWise habits matter?
Orphaned and injured bears come to IBBR for a variety of reasons…
all too often, cubs are orphaned because their mother is killed because
of perceived nuisance behavior…some are found injured and
separated from their mother for reasons unknown…some cubs have
had their mothers killed in motor vehicle accidents… Many of the
situations that result in orphan cubs,
injured bears, property damage, and
personal injury, can be avoided by
educating the public, and offering tips
and solutions on how to co-exist
peacefully with bears in their wild
environment. IBBR is committed to
sharing information with the public, and wildlife agencies -
information that can offer potential solutions to problems that lead to
injury, illness, and orphan-states of bears.
We are working to build compassion,
protection, and ownership for the
welfare of bears and their environment
by developing and sharing successful
methods and practices for living,
working, and recreating in bear habitat.
•Ethical and science-based protocols concerning injured and
orphaned black bear need to be incorporated into wildlife agency
regulations and management plans.
•Wildlife agencies should integrate the fluid nature and adaptive
needs of bear rehabilitation when drafting policies and procedures
meant to regulate bear rehabilitation.
•Black bear rehabilitators should be a part of, and major
contributor to, agency black bear management policies as they affect
black bear rehabilitation.
•Black Bears can be successfully rehabilitated at facilities near urban
areas.
•Consistent standards need to be developed to define conflict
activity with appropriate response methodology.
Successful American Black Bear rehabilitation near an urban area
In 1989, very few states were involved with bear cub
rehabilitation, and fewer still had programs designed to
prepare bears for life in the wild.
History
Black Bear rehab near an urban area
Specialized Formula – for infants or malnourished bears
Methods & Practices of Idaho Black Bear Rehab, Inc. – Nutrition & Enclosures
Around the first week of
October, behavior changes
dramatically; spook at
everything including us
during our normal routine.
Only when visual recognition
takes place will they settle
down…begins to taper off as
the weather changes and they
become more lethargic in
preparation for hibernation.
Sally Maughan, IBBR
Pre-Release
References
Maughan, Sally, IBBR, 2004, updated 2014, Bear Rehab Handbook
Stephan-LeBoeuf, Valerie, 2009, white paper, An Analysis of the Rehabilitation Facilities and
Programs of Idaho Black Bear Rehab, Inc.
Idaho Black Bear Rehab, Inc. (IBBR), 6097 Arney Lane, Garden City, Idaho, 83714, USA
www.bearrehab.org info@bearrehab.org
The American Black Bear can be successfully rehabilitated at
facilities near urban areas. Factors critical to success include
the opportunity to socialize with other cubs during
rehabilitation, good body weight and condition at time of
release, release into areas which include sustainable bear
habitat (food, water, potential den sites), and low potential for
human interactions during the first thirty (30) days post-
release.
Valerie Stephan-LeBoeuf, Idaho Black Bear Rehab, Inc. (IBBR), Garden City, Idaho, USA
For over twenty-five (25) years,
working closely with state,
national, and world-wide bear
experts, Idaho Black Bear
Rehab, Inc. (IBBR) has
developed a successful
rehabilitation program for the
American Black Bear (Ursus
americanus).
Nurturing is important when young. It
does not mean playing with a cub as
you would a pet. It means establishing
an environment in which the cub feels
safe and secure. - Sally Maughan, IBBR
Essential to success
Located in the southwest corner
of the state of Idaho, in Garden
City, on 2.228 acres
2013 State of Idaho Population - 1,612,136
With orphaned cubs personality seems
to be a major factor in whether the cub
will become a problem bear when
released - Sally Maughan, IBBR
2013 Ada County Idaho
Population - 416,464
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1989-2014 All data by percentage of total bears released
Released
Survival
Died post release
Nuisance activity
A successful release has been defined, as a bear that has lived, but has not been encountered
in a nuisance situation, for 30 days or more post-release.
Photos of den exit
behavior - 5 years
post release.
Julie Miller,
graduate studies,
Brigham Young
University
Facilities of IBBR include five (5) outdoor enclosures that can accommodate a variety of bear
ages, medical conditions and smooth transitions into the populations of current resident bears
in rehabilitation. Length, width, height, enhancements, etc., are tailored to accommodate the
constantly varying needs of bears that enter the rehabilitation program.
Enclosures include a remote monitoring system, and
numerous enrichment opportunities. Climbing structures,
swim tub, movable logs, and a variety of den choices are
present in the main enclosure.
Fall arrivals usually require a holding
over until the following May, and have
a Spring release into a suitable
environment. Typical release up to July
27.
Spring arrivals are sometimes released by
placing in dens in the mountains during
the hibernation period. November 18 –
December 27, is the standard winter
release period.
Introduction of solid foods, nine to ten (9-10) wks
Commercial base diet plus natural foods,
four (4) months and older
Release protocols are customized to accommodate the best outcomes
for individual bears and group release of bears.
__ ______Release
__ ______The Data
217 Bears
- 131 Idaho Bears
- 86 Out of State Bears
205 bears released to date (9/2014)
Based on radio collar tracking, and postmortem ear tag retrieval
- 146 bears presumed living lifespan w/no contradictory data
- 52 bears died post release (hunting, cars, predation, unknown)
- 7 designated as “nuisance” bears by wildlife agency personnel
Be BearWise
The Future