AZGFD helps release 3 black bears after rehab with Southwest Wildlife

PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department helped release three juvenile black bears into the wild after the bears finished rehabilitation at the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale.

The three bears, all males, were released on June 13 after being taken to Southwest Wildlife in October.

“Our agency has a history of successful partnership efforts with Southwest Wildlife,” Arizona Game and Fish Department wildlife specialists Dustin Darveau said in a release. “The center has the knowledge and experience working with young bears, along with the facility to handle them in a secluded area with limited human interaction.”

All three bears were tagged with a GPS piece that has solar capabilities to charge batteries necessary for tracking data.

Arizona Game and Fish will continue to monitor the location of the bears, their survivability, dispersal and habitat use to provide better management for the black bear population in the future.

During the rehabilitation process, the bears had to show proficiency in foraging and natural behavior methods before officials determined they were ready for release back into the wild.

The bears were tranquilized before being taken to the release site.

(Videos courtesy of Arizona Game and Fish Department)

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