Bear cub burned in California wildfire receives ‘fish skin’

The Associated Press

7 years ago

The tilapia skin is visible on the bottom of a bear’s burned paw in January. (California Department of Fish and Wildlife)

A bear rests in her holding enclosure after her treatment is finished. The outer wrapping on her feet (made of corn husks) will delay her efforts to chew off the tilapia skin bandages underneath. (California Department of Fish and Wildlife)

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. — A bear cub is recovering after receiving fish skin bandages to its paws that were burned in the California wildfires.

A contractor found the yearling female lying in ash and unable to walk on Aug. 2. The bear was taken to the California Fish and Wildlife’s lab in Rancho Cordova, where video shows sterilized tilapia skins were placed on its injured paws. The cub also received antibiotics, laser treatments and acupuncture to manage pain.

The fish-skin therapy was used to treat two bears in 2017, and they were released into the wild in January.

Officials are optimistic the bear will recover.

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