SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The California Department of Fish and Wildlife removed three bear cubs from Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care’s facility late October after learning the center no longer had staff with the expertise or experience to rehabilitate bears.

The department transferred the bears to Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue near Petaluma.

Peter Tira, information officer for CDFW, said the department made the discovery about the staff’s expertise amid working with the center on permitting issues.

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The department explained the center is in the process of reapplying for a wildlife rehabilitation permit due to changes in staff. These wildlife rehabilitation permits are issued on an individual basis, as opposed to being issued to the facility itself.

According to LTWC board member, Tara Christian, the former permit holder, Kassie Quackenbush, surrendered the permit to CDFW days before she told LTWC she was quitting.

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“The only outcome of that is to ensure that there’s no continuity in the permit,” Christian told the Tribune. This forced them to apply for an entirely new permit, rather than having that permit transferred to someone else at the center.

Executive director, Catherine Mendez, is currently undergoing the application process for a rehabilitation permit.

“We have full confidence in Catherine,” Christian says.

Christian explained Mendez is about two thirds of the way through the permitting approval process, which included CDFW inspecting the facility. The inspection produced a checklist of items for the facility to correct. On that list are window and wood coverings, and certain latch mechanisms, according to Christian, who said the department found no issues with the facility’s perimeter fence.

A part of the inspection proactively evaluated compliance with new regulations CDFW will have in the new year.

The department said LTWC cannot take animals in until they receive the rehabilitation permit.

Permit issues are not the only concerns circulating regarding the center.

The Bear League has requested records regarding LTWC through the California Public Records Act. Their request asks for records related to an eaglet placed in LTWC’s care, as well as the center’s rehabilitation permits, and also requests any notifications from LTWC to CDFW of any dead animals under their care.

Anonymous calls to the Bear League mid-September expressing concerns over the eaglet and staff resignations sparked the records request. “Calls are still coming in,” Ann Bryant with the Bear League says.

Ben Nuckolls with California Wildlife Encounters grew concerned over the eaglet when he stopped hearing from LTWC about its condition. He was responsible for orchestrating the bald eaglet’s rescue in April after it was found dangling from its nest. Nuckolls has been involved in its care ever since.

After rescue, the eagle went to LTWC for rehabilitation. Nuckolls was charged with the release of the eaglet, known as Eagle 19, upon completion of its rehabilitation.

Throughout the summer, Nuckolls had been in touch with LTWC, getting updates from the center all while making arrangements with the proper agencies for the impending release.

“Then all of a sudden I stopped hearing from Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care,” Nuckolls said, “and I thought that was really odd because they were keeping me updated.” This silence began one week before the release that was planned late August, early September.

“That’s when I started hearing rumors,” he told the Tribune, “that something happened that I could never confirm.”

The last update he received from LTWC informed that the eaglet was in the final stages of rehabilitation. This stage consists of placing the eaglet in a flight chamber to ensure it can fly prior to the release.

Nuckolls had informed the proper agencies and received permissions to release the eaglet on the American River near its natal birthing ground. The name, Eagle 19 comes from it being the 19th eaglet born in a specific nest in Sacramento. Nuckolls has been observing this eagle family for many years and says he feels a moral and ethical obligation to find out what happened to Eagle 19.

“The truth needs to come out because it is a symbol of our nation,” he said, “It’s a symbol of our freedom and it deserves to have the truth come out for such a beautiful protected bald eagle.”

The Tribune asked board member Christian about the eaglet’s condition. She said she did not have specifics on individual animals. LTWC did not respond to other attempts the Tribune made to ascertain the eagle’s condition.

Editor’s note: Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care reached out after this article was published to state Nuckolls is not affiliated with LTWC in any capacity, he could not have been part of the care team at any point following the rescue.  

The topic of permitting will be discussed in a future article.