The bear that was burned in the East Canyon Fire in June sprints from its cage Monday as it is released to his new home on the west side of the La Plata Mountains. The bear was captured with severely burned paws and spent the past couple months at a rehabilitation center in Del Norte before being released.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Steve McClung, district wildlife manager, with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, lifts the cage door on Monday releasing the bear that was burned in the East Canyon Fire back in June. The bear was captured with severely burned feet and then spent the past months at a rehab center in De Norte before being released back into the wild on the west side of the La Plata Mountains. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Steve McClung, district wildlife manager, with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, lifts the cage door on Monday releasing the bear that was burned in the East Canyon Fire back in June. The bear was captured with severely burned feet and then spent the past months at a rehab center in De Norte before being released back into the wild on the west side of the La Plata Mountains. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
After the cage door was opened the bear that was burned in the East Canyon Fire back in June looks around at its new surroundings on Monday before sprinting away. The bear was captured with severely burned feet and then spent the past months at a rehab center in De Norte before being released back into the wild on the west side of the La Plata Mountains. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Steve McClung, district wildlife manager, with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, lifts the cage door on Monday releasing the bear that was burned in the East Canyon Fire back in June. The bear was captured with severely burned feet and then spent the past months at a rehab center in De Norte before being released back into the wild on the west side of the La Plata Mountains. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
After the cage door was opened the bear that was burned in the East Canyon Fire back in June looks around at its new surroundings and jumps down on Monday before sprinting away. The bear was captured with severely burned feet and then spent the past months at a rehab center in De Norte before being released back into the wild on the west side of the La Plata Mountains. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The bear that was burned in the East Canyon Fire back in June sprints off from its cage on Monday as it’s released to his new home on the west side of the La Plata Mountains. The bear was captured with severely burned feet and then spent the past months at a rehab center in De Norte before being released back into the wild. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The bear that was burned in the East Canyon Fire back in June sprints off from its cage on Monday as it’s released to his new home on the west side of the La Plata Mountains. The bear was captured with severely burned feet and then spent the past months at a rehab center in De Norte before being released back into the wild. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The bear that was burned in the East Canyon Fire back in June sprints off with healthy feet after being released from a cage on Monday to his new home on the west side of the La Plata Mountains. The bear was captured with severely burned feet and then spent the past months at a rehab center in De Norte before being released back into the wild. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The bear that was burned in the East Canyon Fire back in June sprints off from its cage on Monday as it’s released to his new home on the west side of the La Plata Mountains. The bear was captured with severely burned feet and then spent the past months at a rehab center in De Norte before being released back into the wild. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
The bear that was burned in the East Canyon Fire back in June stops and looks back for a moment before disappearing into the forest after being released from a cage on Monday to his new home on the west side of the La Plata Mountains. The bear was captured with severely burned feet and then spent the past months at a rehab center in De Norte before being released back into the wild. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
A bear injured in the East Canyon Fire earlier this summer west of Durango was released Monday after a successful rehabilitation.
CPW crews mobilized, grabbing a tranquilizer gun and traps, and headed to the scene. Wildlife officers searched for the bear and located it near a pond.
The bear was shot with a tranquilizer and was out about five minutes later. Upon examination, the bear was determined to be male, less than 50 pounds and about 2 years old.
Steve McClung, district wildlife manager with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, lifts the cage door Monday to release the bear that was burned in June during the East Canyon Fire.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
“Unfortunately, it looked like it had some severe burns on its feet,” Matt Thorpe, a wildlife manager for CPW, said at the time. “It was clearly worth taking it to our rehab facility.”
The bear was taken to the Frisco Creek Rehabilitation Facility in Del Norte, where it was determined the injury must have happened just a day or two before the bear was found because there were no signs of infection.
Within days, the bear was back on its feet, and it has been good news ever since. Over the past few weeks, the bear’s paws were treated and healed. The animal was then placed in a regular pen where it had trees to climb and places to hide.
“He was a good patient,” Michael Sirochman, veterinary technician and manager of the Frisco Creek facility, said in a statement.
On Monday, CPW took the bear, now weighing about 110 pounds, to a remote location not far from where it was found. The bear quickly jumped out of its container and into the cover of the aspen forest, CPW said.
“Now, he’s got food, he’s got water, he’s got everything he needs,” Wildlife Officer Steve McClung said in a statement. “And I hope I never see him again.”
The bear that was burned in the East Canyon Fire in June stops and looks back for a moment before disappearing into the forest after being released from a cage Monday to his new home on the west side of the La Plata Mountains. The bear was captured with severely burned feet and then spent the past couple of months at a rehab center in Del Norte.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
CPW believes the bear is well-equipped to survive on its own in the wild. No tracking devices were placed on the animal.
That bear was released in winter 2019 after being successfully treated. Thorpe said previously there haven’t been any sightings of the 416 Fire bear, which was tagged, or any reports that it was harvested by a hunter.
“We’ve had no contact with it,” Thorpe said. “We’re taking that as a positive sign that it’s out in the woods.”
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