SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – The Oakland Zoo is caring for an "extremely ill" bear cub who was rescued after being found wandering around a retail shop in South Lake Tahoe last week.
After he was found in the store, the sick animal was reported to the Bear League, a Lake Tahoe non profit dedicated to helping bears and people live peacefully in the world together. The organization posted pictures of the cub to Facebook and was contacted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The agency conducted a veterinary assessment and transported him to the Oakland Zoo for further care and rehabilitation on Nov. 11.
"It's touch and go right now," Dr. Alex Herman, Head of Veterinary Services at Oakland Zoo, said in a release on Tuesday. "This cub is a tough little guy; despite his physical state, he’s eating well and is in good spirits. We are putting our best efforts into practicing next level medicine on him, and hope we can save his life."
The injured cub has been named "Nixon," which was the name of the shop he was found inside in South Lake Tahoe. Zoo officials speculated that he was abandoned by his mother and said his current prognosis is "extremely guarded, but hopeful." Ryan Sadler, the zoo's chief veterinarian, told KCBS Radio on Thursday he is suffering from pneumonia, a fractured and infected left paw, an ear infection and he's lost most of his fur because of a fungal infection.
"Obviously the longer the list is going, the worse the prognosis is," Sadler said. "He's not in the best shape even though he's stable right now currently."
Nixon continues to receive treatment since his arrival. He is being administered antibiotics, antifungals, and special baths for his infected skin.In addition, due to his lack of fur he is being kept warm with heat lamps and is being fed special diet of nutrient-based kibbled called "bear chow," soaked in formula, various produce, and browse.
"We've done everything we can at this point and he's currently stable. Now the big question is: what’s his long term prognosis?" Sadler said.
If Nixon survives, he will not be released back into the wild because he was orphaned at such a young age and would be unable to survive in the wild without a mother bear, officials said.
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