Last week, three bear cubs returned to their natural habitat. The bears were badly burned during last year's wildfires near Lake Chelan and Cedar Creek.
Rich Beausoleil, a bear and cougar specialist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, was involved in the capture of the injured cubs last year.
This week, he helped release them. "After our response, capture efforts, and many months of intense rehabilitation, this week's release of the bears burned in the North Cascades fires last year went extremely well," Beausoleil said. "The bears, who last year could barely walk, came blazing out of the transport cages, running like champs! They ran down the trail for about 25 yards and then veered off into the woods where they were born and never looked back. "