Bear Found Hairless And Starving In Butte County Makes Amazing Recovery
MURCHISON, TX (CBS13) — A bear who was found hairless and almost dead in Butte County has made a miracle recovery, hundreds of miles away from where she was originally discovered.
When rescuers found "Eve" in a trash can two years ago, she looked so odd they couldn't tell what kind of animal she was. It was one of the worst cases of mange rescuers had ever seen. Eve had almost no hair on her body, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
She was found the night before Christmas, hence the name "Eve." She was cold, hungry and unable to survive in the wild.
"She was going into the coma stage," said Anne Bryan, a rescuer in the Tahoe area who helped care for Eve initially.
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After two years of intensive treatment elsewhere, Eve got a new, lifesaving look. A lot of her hair grew back and she's now living with an entire acre to herself at the Cleveland Armory Black Beauty Ranch in Texas. She gained 130 pounds during treatment and now roams a wooded area that's fenced in and has a heated den so she stays warm.
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The ranch is home to two other rescue bears who live elsewhere on the property. Experts at the sanctuary said Eve can't return to the wild because her hair did not completely grow back. Life skills like hibernating and interacting with other bears would be a problem. But her new home seems to have plenty to satisfy her playfulness and curiosity.
Eve's recovery and care do not come cheap, it costs about $15,000 a year which has to be raised through donations.