Tahoe bear found gravely ill transferred to Oakland Zoo for life-saving mission
TAHOE — A life-saving mission is underway to save a Tahoe bear four days after he was found on the brink of death.
The veterinary staff at the Oakland Zoo is treating Nixon, an 8-month-old cub, that was found wandering outside a store gravely ill.
It's been a rough road for the little guy and we say little because black bear cubs usually tip the scales at 75-100 pounds at 8 months old. But Nixon was just 28 pounds when he was found.
But as frail as he is, make no mistake, Nixon is as tough as they come.
"They are really tough, but the bad side of that is they're really good at hiding things, just like every wild animal is," said Dr. Ryan Sadler, a senior veterinarian with the Oakland Zoo.
The cub is battling a host of health issues including a fungal infection, pneumonia, a fractured front limb and a dislocated wrist. And that is just the beginning.
"It's still pretty grim at this stage, but we're doing everything we can," Dr. Sadler said.
Dr. Sadler and his team of veterinarians at the Oakland Zoo have been documenting Nixon's journey as they try to nurse him back to health.
Last week, a volunteer with the Bear League rescued him outside a shop called Nixon in South Lake Tahoe.
"She left her door open to go kind of check on him and he felt that heat, and this little bear just climbed right up into that car," said Ann Bryant, the executive director of the Bear League.
The Bear League had been keeping a close eye on the cub for weeks after its mother died.
"It's loss of a mother too early, not able to find forage, not able to eat or nurse, they get compromised. Their immune system breaks down and then they're very vulnerable," Bryant said.
Transferring Nixon to the Oakland Zoo was his best chance at survival, and while it's still too early to know any long-term prognosis, this baby bear is getting the tender care he needs to beat the odds.
"Boy, what a fighter, you know? You really got to give him credit for doing what he needed to do to survive," Bryant said.
Nixon couldn't be moved to Oakland for three days because of the Sierra storm last week. So the Bear League initially took care of him.
Veterinarians say Nixon still needs surgery, and even if he recovers, he can't be released back into the wild. And because his infection is so severe, he likely won't grow all his fur back.