Orphaned Black Bear Cubs Released Into Colorado Wilderness During Snowstorm Operation

Orphaned black bear cubs were released back into the wild during an early-May snowstorm in a coordinated wildlife operation in Archuleta County.

The video shows two separate release moments captured on the same day.

In the first clip, wildlife officer Nate Martinez and two young helpers stand on the bed of a gray pickup truck beside a large metal transport crate as heavy snow falls.

When the crate door opens, the cubs quickly run out and head straight toward a tall aspen tree near the vehicle. Two of the cubs climb the white-barked trunk, while another briefly explores the snowy ground before also moving toward the tree. The officers and children watch as the cubs climb higher into the branches.

The second clip shows wildlife officer Andy Brown releasing another pair of cubs in a different forested area west of Durango. The cubs rush out of the crate and quickly disappear into the snowy woods.

The releases are part of an effort to return five orphaned black bear cubs to the wild after they spent the winter at the Frisco Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.

Among them is a cub known as “Yellow Carrot,” which had previously entered a Durango restaurant.

The cubs were too small for release in the previous fall and were instead rehabilitated through the winter before being paired for release in the spring.