Super-cute rescued bear cub gives his stuffed toy a hug as he poses for the cameras
By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 02:33 GMT, 19 May 2012 | UPDATED: 02:56 GMT, 19 May 2012
An orphaned American black bear cub hugs its cuddly toy at Oregon Zoo, unwilling to let go while it stays in quarantine at the northwestern zoo.
Brought in by Oregon Zoo's Michelle Schireman, Aldo the bear was found on April 23 by a Medford, Oregon family who had taken it into their home but were unable to care for it.
Known for her work with orphaned cougar cubs, Schireman looked after four-pound Aldo at the zoo's Veterinary Medical Centre during her workday and at night she took him home to bring the tiny bear back to health.
Aldo the orphaned American black bear cub clings on for dear life to his stuffed otter toy at Oregon Zoo
Despite weighing only as much as a half-gallon of milk, one day the bear could reach 600 pounds and stand up to six-feet tall.
Applying her knowledge of abandoned cougars to shy young Aldo, Schireman worked 24 hours a day to put the bear in condition to be re-homed at a zoo in the United States.
'I'm usually the first person fish and wildlife departments call when orphaned cougars are found in the wild,' said Schireman.
'Young cougars can't survive without their mothers, so I work with accredited zoos to find them new homes.'
In these photographs provided by the Oregon Zoo, keeper Michelle Shireman interacts with Aldo the black bear cub while in quarantine at The Oregon Zoo
In this photo provided by the Oregon Zoo, a quarantined black bear cub explores his surroundings at The Oregon Zoo in Portland, Oregon
Aldo the orphaned black bear peeks round to see his photographer (left) in this picture and stares straight ahead on all fours in the other picture (right)
This week, Schireman and Oregon Zoo placed Aldo at NEW Zoo in Suamico, Wisconsin, which is also home to an adult black bear named Winnie.
'I'm glad they were able to find a home for him so quickly,' said Schireman.
Black bears are omnivorous and have a diverse diet including fruit, plants, berries and grasses; they are not usually active predators. Oregon is home to about 25,000 to 30,000 black bears, which are North America's most common bear species.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife advises Oregonians to leave wildlife in the wild.
