Bear cub reunited with mother

Last weekend Wildlife Specialist Steve Searles and employees of Mammoth Mountain spent nine hours attempting to help a terrified cub that had been separated from its mother.

“When we opened up Steeps Bar Friday morning we noticed that several food cabinets had been broken into,” explained MMSA Health and Safety Manager Bill Erb. “But the only bear around was this cub running around between the top of 6 and McCoy.”Erb asked Ski Patrol to have Searles come up and keep an eye on the cub and make sure skiers and boarders kept away from it.

“It’s the Mountain’s philosophy to try to keep the cubs safe,” Erb explained.

Searles arrived on the scene and spent the rest of the day following the cub up and down the slopes.

“He was so small he wasn’t even leaving paw prints in the snow,” Searles said.

The cub made it through the day and apparently the night. Searles recently spotted it back with the sow and her two other cubs.