After spending a year at Appalachian Bear Rescue, and getting the care and food he needed to grow, our Virginia cub, RA (now a yearling) went home on April 12th. It’s hard to believe, but RA now weighs 141 pounds and looked like this when the VA wildlife officers came to take him home.
A sleeping RA, ready for the trip home.
In case you have forgotten how small he was when he arrived last spring, here is his baby picture.
RA in May, 2010
It is very gratifying to be able to return an orphaned bear cub to the wild, and we wouldn’t be able to do it without the generous donations of friends like you. We thank you for your interest in our work, and for caring about the cubs.
In case you wonder about his travel arrangements, here is a picture of Lisa, on the left, with the Virginia officers who came to pick him up. After closing the door of the barrel trap, they were on their way to VA.
Lisa Stewart with VA wildlife officers, ready to close the door on RA.
It is always a bittersweet moment when we say “goodbye” to one of our bears, but since our purpose is to prepare them for life in the wild, we are glad to see a bear like RA go off to start his new life. Good luck, RA!