Here's what happened to animals rescued in Dixie, Lava, Antelope, Fawn fires in 2021

Three bear cubs, a bobcat and a pig rescued from Northern California fires in 2021 went safely home or will soon be released.

In October, the Redding Record Searchlight published stories about animals who were victims of the state's raging wildfires, including the 1,500-square-mile Dixie Fire.

They and other animals were rescued by wildlife experts and caring neighbors. Injured wildlife received medical attention, then bunked at animal refuges where volunteers fed them and helped them keep their specialized skills and wild ways.

As 2021 wrapped up, we circled back with people who care for five of the animals we featured to see how they were doing.

Three little bears still need care

Three orphaned bear cubs are slowing down a bit and eating more as the weather turns cold, said Sallysue Stein, director and volunteer at Gold Country Wildlife Rescue in Auburn. They probably won’t hibernate until next year, after they're released into a mountain wilderness where temperatures drop well below freezing.

The three bears arrived weighing 16-25 pounds.

• Leo, also called Smokey Junior, was rescued with burned paws from the Antelope Fire in Siskiyou County on Aug. 11.

• TR was rescued from the Dixie Fire near Taylorsville in Plumas County on Aug. 16.

• Vinnie was also rescued from the Dixie Fire on Sept. 5.

"They’re 75 to 80 pounds each now,” Stein said. “They’re typical kids. They wrestle and play."

At 11 months old, the bears are too young to be released until spring, Stein said. They'll spend winter in a special bear enclosure where they can climb, play and hide in make-shift dens.

Their diet consists of fresh fruits and vegetables, and zoo-formula Bear Chow. "Vinnie is a food hog," Stein said. "Grapes are his favorite.”

Rescuers keep contact with humans to a minimum to keep the bears wild, she said.

Bobcat is back at home near Mt. Shasta

Lava Bob wasn't expected to live when he was rescued by Axel Hunnicutt, a biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Siskiyou County unit in Yreka.

The bobcat was unable to hunt after he suffered fourth degree burns in the Lava Fire in July.

“He was so skinny. I was surprised I could get a dart in him," Hunnicutt said.

But the cat made an excellent recovery, Stein said, healing quickly from his wounds and growing from a malnourished 15 pounds to 35 pounds — a good weight for a bobcat.

Then he grew to 45 pounds, mostly healthy muscle and ferocious cat-itude.

Capturing him for release was “quite the challenge,” Stein said. “It took two of us to get him into the carrier using a catch pole."

Lava Bob was released in October at the base of Mt. Shasta, 8 miles from where he was rescued. If we release animals close where they were found, they usually go home to their original territory, Stein said.

See video about Lava Bob's journey from rescue to release at https://bit.ly/3zbrVmF.

Pumba the pig escapes Fawn Fire

In September, the Fawn Fire burned toward the Billing family’s farm near Mountain Gate.

With her husband away, Leighellen Billing had to work fast with help from her in-laws to evacuate her three young children, 12 chickens, seven goats, four ducks, two pigs, seven newborn kittens with their mother and three other cats.

The family’s older pet pig “Pumba” took advantage of the situation and ran off, she said.

Unable to catch the American Guinea hog, Billing had to evacuate without Pumba — believing he would run away from the fire.

When the Billing family returned home eight days later, they saw he’d returned home, rooted up the yard and wallowed in the mud made by the sprinkler, but Pumba was gone.

After posting his photo on social media, Billing learned a neighbor found Pumba. He put the pig — who didn’t seem at all frightened or put out, Billing said — in his goat pen and gave him treats.

"He was a good 10-minute drive away," she said. Pumba had crossed the highway, over Old Oregon Trail.

While the edge of their property burned, the Billing home was spared by the fire — a blessing for which Billing credits her goats for munching and clearing defensible space.

Pumba returned to his pen and lived another month before he died of natural causes in October.

“He was a spoiled pig while we had him,” Billing said.

More: 'We’ve learned how resilient nature is': Animals recovering from fires get a little help

How the three bears and donors returned the favor

Publicity over the rescue and medical care of the three bear cubs helped Gold Country Wildlife Rescue raise $250,000 for a new habitat designed for future rescued bears.

Ground broke in November on a 15-acre property in Auburn — the future site of "Bear Cub University," Stein said.

The new habitat will help keep rescued bears wild, ensuring they don't become accustomed to humans while they grow up or recover from injuries.

“There will be denning and climbing opportunities, so they can practice all the skills they’ll need in the wild,” Stein said.

Construction will start on the steel enclosure when the weather improves, a “bear-proof” design created by the CDFW.

More: The story of 3 bears: Cubs burned in California wildfires recovering together

Gold Country's Bear Cub University is one of four bear rescue sites in California. Others are in Tahoe, Ramona/San Diego and Sonoma County.

For the bear facts go to goldcountrywildliferescue.org or https://bit.ly/3ez5JK4 on Facebook.

Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and entertainment stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: What happened to animals rescued in Northern California fires in 2021