Four bear cubs were returned to the wild on Feb. 15.

In April 2016, an 18-year-old female bear with four cubs (two males and two females) died of unknown causes on the South Shore. The cubs weighed 7 to 10 pounds, and are now closer to 70 pounds.

They were taken to Animal Ark in Reno because they were found in Nevada.

They were placed into hibernation in late autumn. On Wednesday they were placed in artificial dens in the Lake Tahoe backcountry. They are expected to emerge from their winter slumber in mid-March or April. They were flown to the denning sites in pairs.