El Dorado County Bear Cub's Surgery Reveals Hidden Injury — And Raises Questions About Wildlife Safety

When an orphaned bear cub was rescued from El Dorado County after wandering alone for more than a week, the team at Gold Country Wildlife Rescue in Auburn knew they had their hands full. Initial X-rays showed what appeared to be metal pellets embedded in the cub’s hind leg, so the vets made a conservative decision to treat the wound with medication while avoiding unnecessary surgery. The goal was to keep the young bear as wild as possible, giving it the best shot at thriving once it was released back into nature.

But when the wound reopened and the surgical team went in to assess the damage, they discovered the full extent of the problem. What the X-rays had missed was the fabric casing of a complete beanbag round. That’s right — not just loose pellets, but an entire beanbag projectile with its plastic shell cap lodged inside the cub’s leg. The surgical removal was extensive and challenging, but the team successfully extracted it, and the cub is now recovering well at the facility.

The origin of the injury remains a mystery. Beanbag rounds are legal tools for trained law enforcement use in bear hazing situations, but they’re not permitted for public use. Whether this cub was accidentally hit during a wildlife management situation, intentionally fired upon, or caught in some other incident, nobody knows for sure. What we do know is that this little bear is getting a second chance, and it will soon be integrated with three other orphaned cubs before they’re all released back into their natural habitat together. If you’re interested in supporting wildlife rehabilitation efforts in the region, Gold Country Wildlife Rescue welcomes donations. What’s your biggest concern about living in an area where bears and people share space?