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Bear cub burned in Colorado wildfire released back into wild

In a photo provided by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, an orphaned bear cub that was burned by a wildfire sits in its enclosure July 19, 2018, while healing at a rehabilitation center in Del Norte, Colo. The orphaned bear cub burned by a Colorado wildfire has been released back into the wild. The Durango Herald reports that the cub was placed in the mountains west of Durango on Friday, Jan. 25, 2019, asleep inside a man-made den along with a second orphaned cub. (Joe Lewandowski / AP)
In a photo provided by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, an orphaned bear cub that was burned by a wildfire sits in its enclosure July 19, 2018, while healing at a rehabilitation center in Del Norte, Colo. The orphaned bear cub burned by a Colorado wildfire has been released back into the wild. The Durango Herald reports that the cub was placed in the mountains west of Durango on Friday, Jan. 25, 2019, asleep inside a man-made den along with a second orphaned cub. (Joe Lewandowski / AP)
Associated Press

DURANGO, Colo. – An orphaned bear cub burned by a Colorado wildfire has been released back into the wild.

The Durango Herald reports that the cub was placed in the mountains west of Durango on Friday, asleep inside a man-made den along with a second orphaned cub. Officials hope they will not wake up until spring when food is more available.

The injured cub’s feet were severely burned in a wildfire that raged north of Durango last summer.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said the cub weighed only 10 pounds when she came to a wildlife rehabilitation center but gained 80 pounds. Once the cub was able to walk, she was moved to a pen with other cubs.

The center limits human interaction, giving the cubs a better chance at survival when released.