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SPRINGVILLE -- A couple of curious bear cubs poking around campsites and cabins in Hobble Creek Canyon have been captured.
Wildlife officials trapped the two yearlings and released them back into the wild -- away from humans.
It took a little convincing, but the cubs are now exploring their new home.
"We anticipate they are probably sibling cubs," said Scott Root of Division of Wildlife Resources.
This is about when mom kicks them out anyway to go live on their own so she can go breed again.
–Scott Root
Campers first spotted the pair wandering around various campsites in Hobble Creek Canyon, with no mama bear in sight. They explored picnic tables, barbecues and stood up on log piles to peek in nearby windows.
It took wildlife officials three days to catch up with the curious cubs. The cubs look a little different in color a week after they were first sighted, but wildlife officials are pretty sure they caught the same cubs.
"They have their winter coat and they have some guard hairs that are often blond when they're younger," Root said. "They can rub those off."
The cubs were released into the wild up Spanish Fork Canyon, where, officials say, the cubs will be just fine.
"This is about when mom kicks them out anyway to go live on their own so she can go breed again," Root said. "There are plenty of chokecherries, berries and all types of grasses and everything so they'll be in good shape; no problems at all."
Wildlife officials say it is possible a hunter may have killed their mother some time before.
E-mail: jstagg@ksl.com
