ALBION – Lured into her outdoor enclosure by a sweet promise, a black bear moved her head up and down as she eyed a doughnut hole.

The head movement is likely due to the bear’s impaired vision, believed to be the result of injuries suffered when she was used as live bait to train hunting dogs.

The North American black bear, which has been removed twice from private ownership by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife, now has a home at Black Pine Animal Park.

The staff of the exotic-animal rescue facility frequently calls her Little Bear, though a contest will be held next week to select a permanent name, according to Lori Gagen, the park’s executive director.

Examinations by the park’s veterinarian have found that, in addition to having lost some or all of the sight in her left eye, Little Bear suffered a bad tear or break to her left paw that was never treated, leaving her with a limp.

Little Bear’s teeth have been either badly injured from fighting with dogs or filed down as a way to prevent her from biting the dogs as they attacked her, Gagen said.

Scars dot her muzzle, and there is a clear mark around her neck where she was once collared.

Estimated to be between 10 and 17 years old, Little Bear likely has lived her entire life in captivity, Gagen said. She was used to train hunting dogs at a southern Indiana facility – maybe for up to six years – before she was removed by the state.

The removal happened after conservation officers became aware of a Perry County man who, along with his sons, was paid by hunters who wanted to train their dogs with a live bear, according to Linnea Petercheff, operations staff specialist for DNR’s Division of Fish and Wildlife.

During the training, the bear would be chained to a stake, which severely restricted her movement, before dogs were allowed to attack her, Petercheff said.

Although the man had obtained a DNR license allowing him to keep the bear, it is illegal in Indiana to use a live bear to train hunting dogs, Petercheff said.

After the bear was placed with a second person near Bunker Hill, Petercheff said the state had to intervene again in May after learning three bears at the facility were not receiving proper care.

Though a sanctuary in Colorado agreed to take two of the bears, Little Bear was unwanted because of her injuries, Gagen said.

Within days of being contacted by the state, Gagen said, three keepers and two volunteers from Black Pine transported Little Bear to her new home.

Now, less than two months later, Gagen acknowledges the once-underweight animal has become somewhat “round.”

“Behaviorally, she’s doing really, really well,” Gagen said.

Though a larger, permanent bear habitat will likely be constructed next year, Little Bear’s temporary home leaves her with lions, tigers and leopards for neighbors.

Along the path that goes to Little Bear’s temporary home is a fresh pile of dirt that awaits a memorial being crafted by a volunteer.

Shortly after Little Bear arrived at Black Pine, the park’s longtime resident black bear, Isaac, had to be put down.

The tough decision came after days of fruitless efforts by the park’s veterinarian and staff to encourage the arthritis-stricken bear to move, Gagen said.

Despite the staff giving Isaac medication and trying to lift him to his feet, Gagen said, the 32-year-old bear remained immobile.

After staff members said their goodbyes, Isaac was put down June 22 and buried near the grave of his fellow circus performer, Mr. Bear, who died in 2008.

Though sad about their loss, the staff found serendipity in the unexpected arrival of Little Bear shortly before Isaac’s death, Gagen said.

“It just felt like it came full circle in a lot of ways,” Gagen said. “For every passing we’ve ever had, there’s always been another animal waiting in the wings.”

bmanley@jg.net