The Frisco Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation Center cared for a record number of orphaned black bear cubs this year, Colorado Parks & Wildlife said on Friday.
In all, there have been 47 bears cared for at Frisco Creek, located in the San Luis Valley. The first bear arrived in mid-April, a six-pound cub from Evergreen.
Other bears that were at the rehab center included a bear dealing with a broken leg, a yearling that sustained burn injuries in the Aspen Acres Fire, and dozens more orphaned in a variety of ways.
This comes at the same time that CPW has rpeorted the worst year of human-bear conflicts on record.
During a year of unprecedented human-bear conflict, the Frisco Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation Center cared for a record number of orphaned black bear cubs.
“For the last 15 years, we’ve averaged about 20 orphaned black bear cubs a year here at Frisco Creek,” Facility Manager Michael Sirochman said in a statement. “Fortunately, this year we did not have any bobcats, mountain lions or red foxes, so all mammal pen space has been available and dedicated to housing cubs. We were also able to finish modifications to several pens that were set up for other species in the past and were not very useful for bear cubs. This has allowed us to take in a record number of cubs this year.”
Twenty-one of the 47 bears have come from CPW's Southeast Region; 18 from the Northeast; seven from the Southwest and one from the Northwest.
Frisco Creek usually takes in young-of-the-year cubs, however, treating yearling bears has become more common. Yearlings in need of help are typically encountered in the spring or late winter.
One bear did have significant burns from the Aspen Acres Fire, and was treated by CPW Field Veterinarian Dr. Jane Riner, who has experience with burn care for wildlife.
“This bear had significant burn injuries to all four paws, but they were already showing signs of healing,” Dr. Riner said. “Because he had survived the worst of it and we had a headstart, we had high hopes for a successful outcome. We were able to use special wound dressings to provide protection from infection and a multi-wavelength light therapy to accelerate the healing process. He showed incredible improvement, and within nine days, we were able to discontinue bandaging and get him comfortably back on his feet.”
The burns are now completely healed.
CPW officials said Frisco Creek had 29 cubs in 2025, but has had as few as four orphaned bear cubs in one year to as many as 40. The hope is to see a return to more average totals, around 20 cubs or less.
“Most wildlife officers will tell you that killing a bear is one of the worst things they ever have to do, and we constantly hear how grateful they are to have a place to send the orphan cubs,” Sirochman said. “We will continue doing everything we can at Frisco Creek to meet that need and provide that second chance.”___
Right to Hunt and Fish? Amendment 83
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