Update On The Burned Bear Rescued in Colorado This Week

On Tuesday, during the East Canyon fire, a young male bear was rescued by Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers. He was transported to a CPW facility in Del Norte.

As the fire burned 30 miles west of Durango, the bear was spotted by firefighters on the east side of Cherry Creek Road.

The bear was sitting in a cluster of reeds, requiring the officers to push back the vegetation with poles. This allowed them to administer a tranquilizer dart to sedate the bear before transporting him to Del Norte, according to CPW.

The bear is a male yearling, which means it was born during the winter in 2019 and is now living on its own.

“You could tell it was really hurting,” said wildlife officer Steve McClung.

He expects that the bear will be ready for release in about eight weeks.