Colorado Parks and Wildlife on Tuesday placed eight orphaned bear cubs in artificial dens on Pikes Peak.
Four cubs share each of the two dens, built with downed logs, timbers and small branches, pine boughs and a mix of straw, hay and alfalfa.
On Tuesday, officers from Area 14 in Colorado Springs retrieved the cubs from Wet Mountain Wildlife Rehabilitation in Wetmore, where they spent summer and fall.
Each cub, weighing 110-140 pounds, was tranquilized and transported to the dens, about an hour away, according to CPW information officer Bill Vogrin. On the mountain, they were blindfolded and hobbled in case they awoke, then carried by sled through deep snow to their winter home.
The operation on the mountain took about two hours.
“Work was delayed at times as a couple cubs did awaken, abruptly sitting up on their sleds to the surprise of CPW officers, who quickly administered second doses of tranquilizer so release work could resume,” Vogrin said.
CPW officers crawled into the dens to position the bears for a restful sleep and administered drugs that would reverse the tranquilizers. The dens were then sealed with alfalfa and packed with a thick layer of snow.
The operation at the dens took about two hours, Vogrin said.
“It was a great day on the mountain,” said Frank McGee, area wildlife manager who oversees Area 14. “It was really gratifying to know we gave them a second chance to be wild bears.”
Ideally, the bears will remain in the dens until spring when they’ll emerge as 1-year-olds and disperse into the forest.