Little bear cub burned by wildfire recovering, but needs skin grafts

Tamarack the bear cub was found in the yard of a Markleeville after suffering burns from a wildfire near Lake Tahoe in California. Photo courtesy of Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care


July 28 (UPI) -- A bear cub that was burned by a wildfire near Lake Tahoe is now recovering at a wildlife center in California, and caretakers say it's expected to make a full recovery.

The cub was named Tamarack after the Tamarack Fire, which has burned nearly 70,000 acres in California and Nevada. The fire was almost 60% contained by Wednesday morning.

A homeowner in Markleeville, Calif., came across the cub in their yard last weekend.

"We found the cub -- sedated it -- (tried to run down the hill in the pitch black dark but we found him)," the Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care center said in a Facebook post Monday.

The center said Tamarack had burns on all four of his paws. They treated him with pain medication and fluids, and bandaged his feet.

The cub's being cared for at the wildlife center, where he's awaiting a tilapia skin grafting procedure.

"The wounds are progressing as expected & we are optimistic about his recovery!" the center posted Tuesday.

The center said Tamarack's recovery will be "long and expensive," and officials launched a donation page to assist with expenses.