Located dead the bear fell in June and two cubs in the Palentina Mountain

To locate them, the operative had to enter the cavity, which has an initial narrowing of less than 50 centimeters, until descending to 33 meters deep. There, the team has found the remains of the fallen bear along with two cubs. The state of the remains of the two bear cubs is compatible with the fact that they were both their cubs, although one of them had disappeared the days before the fall.

The corpses of these specimens have been transferred to the Burgos Wild Animal Recovery Center, where in the next few days the corresponding necropsies will be carried out, as well as the collection of genetic material for analysis in the laboratory in order to confirm the kinship of the cubs.

In that fight on June 5, which was recorded and shared on social networks, the male and female fell off the cliff, dying the first and causing the bear and her cubs to be located to check their condition.

To do this, an important operation was deployed made up of technical personnel, veterinarians, environmental agents, environmental guards and personnel from the Bear Patrols of the Natural Heritage Foundation of the Junta de Castilla y León, with the collaboration of the Civil Guard and field staff of the Brown Bear Foundation.

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Discharge and work carried out in the operation

During the early hours of June 6, the dead male specimen could be located near the place of the fall, confirming during the following days that both the bear and the bear cub were alive inside the cave, at a horizontal distance. about 15 meters from the entrance of the bear. When observing the bear and the bear cub alive, food and water were provided in the cave to help in the recovery of the specimens with minimal intervention.

During the following days, the work carried out by the Board’s operation ended without new indications of the presence of the bear and the bear cub, deciding to carry out a remote survey of the interior of the cavity using a videoscope, as well as with an interior inspection drone. , without obtaining visual records of either the bear or the cub.

Due to the characteristics of this area of ​​the Palentina Mountain, it is a karstic complex in a limestone formation, it could not be ruled out that, although there were no new images of the bear and the bear cub, both remained inside the cave. in other unexplored cavities or chasms, since the cavity where the two specimens were initially located consisted of numerous totally inaccessible galleries and wells.

At the same time, taking into account that a second bear with a calf of the year remained in an area very close to the cavity where the bear and the cub took refuge, the operation of the Junta de Castilla y León has been carrying out for During these weeks, continuous surveillance through remote observation of the cavity, as well as continuous monitoring of the bear through photo-trapping and real-time surveillance cameras until the second bear has left the area and has allowed the members of the operation to carry out a more exhaustive review of the cave with specialized personnel, safely and without disturbing the second bear at a crucial time in its development.