Orphaned bear cubs showing up early this summer

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Lake Tahoe wildlife center is packed with orphaned bear cubs right now -- the most they've ever had this early in the summer. The cubs are getting great care at the only place in California licensed to care for wild cubs.

The newest arrival, a male cub named Brockway, was found near his mother's body in north of Lake Tahoe. A Good Samaritan left him with a note at a volunteer organization called "the bear league." The state fish and wildlife department gave to the okay to transport him to the wildlife center. The vet gave Brockway a full medical exam and fluids now, and his prognosis is good.

The wildlife center is run by Tom and Cheryl Millham who've been caring for bear cubs for the last fourteen years. The bears here now are all five to six months old, from all over the state. This summer, more bears than usual are showing up in populated areas because of the drought, but there's no way to know if that's why so many "orphaned" bears have been found. The cubs aren't saying.

We introduced you to the first orphaned cub of the season last April. She was just 5 pounds, and had to be bottle fed. The goal with all the cubs is to release them into the wild. So now three months later, she's not getting any human contact. We did get a peek at her through a window though. She's up to over 20 pounds, but still has not cozied up to the other cubs. Tom says they are still working on it. For the rest of the bears it's actually a good thing to have so many here at once.

"It's great because they get to interact with each other," said Tom Millham. "They get to play with each other. They get to fight with each other. They get to determine who is the boss."

Most of the cubs are in good shape. One had some serious tooth problems when she arrived. So, she had to have surgery, and is being monitored with a video camera while she recovers.

"She's acting normally," said Millham. "Eating most of the foods that we are putting in there, but we are on soft foods right now."

Food is one of the biggest concerns for the wildlife center right now.

"As the summer goes on and their appetites get more and more as they get bigger," said Millham. "It'll cost us $100 per bear per week."

The cubs get high quality fresh food, so they learn to eat a natural diet. They won't be big enough to be released until winter, and the food bill will just keep going up. It could be upwards of $15,000 or more.