It was a quiet afternoon at St. Francis Hospital in Colorado Springs when staff members noticed something unusual in their employee parking lot — a small, furry figure huddled against the concrete.
To their surprise, it wasn’t a stray dog or cat. It was a baby black bear, all alone and trembling.
Concerned for the cub’s safety, a hospital security guard immediately called Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) for help.
When Aaron Berscheid, a district wildlife manager, arrived on the scene, he didn’t spot the cub right away. But after a careful search, he noticed a pair of wide, frightened eyes peeking out from a tiny hole near the pavement.
“When I got closer, I realized how small it was,” Berscheid told The Dodo.
While bear sightings aren’t unheard of in the Colorado Springs area, seeing a cub by itself — especially one this young — was a first for Berscheid.
“The bear was definitely scared and nervous,” he said. “Just kind of tucked up in there [with] sad puppy dog eyes.”
Berscheid and fellow wildlife manager Demetria Wright worked slowly and gently to coax the cub out of hiding. Once secured, they transported the little bear to the CPW office for evaluation.
There, staff determined the cub was in good health but significantly underweight for its age.
“It ended up weighing 22 pounds, which is very small for this time of year,” Berscheid said. “Usually they’re closer to 50 pounds or more. My theory is this bear was either a runt of twins — or more likely, a runt of triplets.”
After getting water, rest, and a little food, the cub was transferred to Frisco Creek Animal Care, a wildlife rehabilitation center where it could safely grow and regain strength.
“At the rehab facility, human interaction is kept to an absolute minimum,” Berscheid explained. “That way, the bear can retain its natural instincts and stay wild.”
Over the next several months, the cub will be carefully monitored and nourished until it’s ready to return to the wild.
“Come next spring when it gets released,” Berscheid said, “it’ll have all the instincts a wild bear should have — and a much better chance at a healthy, happy life.”
