3 orphaned bear cubs rescued north of Tucson released back into the wild

Three bear cubs that were rescued last year after their mother was struck and killed by a car were released back into the wild last week.

The incident happened last April near Oracle. The three female cubs were rescued by Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers with the help of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Hayden police and a Good Samaritan.

The cubs were taken to the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale, where they were cared for over the last year.

The cubs' release into a remote area in central Arizona was conducted by Game and Fish and the conservation center.

"Right now is about the time they would be leaving their mother and venturing out on their own, so we’re trying to simulate that as best we can in a controlled environment," James O’Brien, the center's clinic manager and veterinary technician, said in a news release. "We’ve minimized human contact in caring for them. They are big enough and ready to be released back into the wild."

Before the release into the wild, the bears were fitted with GPS ear tags that allow biologists to monitor the bears' movements, "helping assist bear management in the future," according to the news release.

Game and Fish supervisor Pat Crouch said because the bears are healthy, haven't posed a risk to the public and have been cared for "in a manner that minimized the chance of habituation to their human caretakers," releasing the bears back into the wild was a "viable option."