Just a few days before Christmas last year, residents in a California neighborhood spotted a strange-looking visitor roaming from yard to yard and rummaging through their garbage.
The large animal had huge paws, a nubby tail and big, high-set ears. She was almost completely bald, with pink, scaly skin and barely-there wisps of hair along her back.
Many were left guessing what type of animal she could be.

Thatâs when the Fund for Animals Wildlife Center (FFAWC), an affiliate of the Humane Society of the United States, came in. The creature was no stranger to them at all; she was actually a black bear â who just happened to have a horrible case of mange.
She had been sick and struggling to find food for a very long time.
âThis was the most extreme case weâve seen in the history of our wildlife center,â Matthew Anderson, director of FFAWC, told The Dodo. âIf she hadnât been transported here, thereâs no chance she wouldâve made it on her own. She was in really dreadful condition.â

Exhausted and near emaciated, the bear arrived at the FFAWC center the day before Christmas. Her rescuers named her Eve.
For the next eight months, Eve would undergo a fight for her life. Her caretakers settled her into her own bear apartment complete with comfortable blankets, some igloos to hide in and a fuzzy stuffed toy to keep her company. She required multiple blood tests, skin biopsies and medicine to continuously treat and reassess the aggressive mange.

Eveâs medication slowly but surely diminished the mange, and she finally started gaining weight and growing thanks to a proper diet of tasty fish, fruit and nuts. Now, Eveâs hair is growing back â and sheâs looking the healthiest sheâs been in a long time.
âSheâs remarkably more bear-like now,â Anderson said. âSheâs exploring her enclosure much more, climbing frequently, and has especially enjoyed playing in her pool with the hot days weâve been having.â

FFAWC
Although rescuers thought Eve was a young cub at first, they now estimate that sheâs actually a few years old. With her newfound health, sheâs exhibiting all normal behaviors of a black bear her age, including foraging for food, climbing and exploring.
âExploratory and play behavior is exactly what weâd expect from a wild bear,â Anderson said. âBut of course, no bear is complete without plenty of sleep, too.â
While Eveâs mange is completely cleared at this point, sheâs still being treated for a secondary skin infection. This should subside over the next few weeks with the help of medication.

FFAWC
The team will continue assessing Eveâs behavior, weight and fur growth over the next few months for more signs that sheâll be ready for release back to the wild.
At the rate Eveâs going now, Anderson said, heâs âquietly optimistic.â

âEverything we see is a step in the right direction,â Anderson said. âOur main focus is successful rehabilitation and release back into the native habitat â and Eve is a great example of the many patients we have every year. Weâre so delighted at how sheâs doing.â