A wildlife center recently took in an exceptionally young resident, and staff are playing mother – almost literally – to help him survive.

In a Facebook post earlier this month, San Diego Humane Society said its Ramona Wildlife Center was caring for a two month old black bear cub, the youngest cub resident they’ve ever had. He was found alone by campers in Los Padres National Forest in April, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife staff had hoped to reunite him with his mother by taking him back to the wild. Unfortunately, that reunion didn’t come to pass, and it’s unknown what happened to his mother. He was in rough shape, though, and was ultimately taken to the wildlife center.

The Facebook post says, “He arrived weak and underweight, but thanks to round-the-clock feedings, expert medical care and some serious bear-y good dedication from our Project Wildlife team, he’s now stable and thriving.”

He’s expected to remain there for up to a year, as cubs usually spend their first year-and-a-half of life with their mothers, learning how to find food and avoid danger. Without an actual bear mother, staff are providing the next best thing: human “mothers” in mama bear costumes.

The rescue explains, “He gets four enrichment and feeding sessions a day (and yes, our team wears bear suits to mimic maternal behaviors and keep the bear from bonding with humans). It’s a big commitment — and an even bigger privilege to give this little one a second chance at life in the wild!”

To avoid human imprinting even more, staff hopes that should another bear cub need care somewhere else in the state, the two can be paired together to remain wild. That would help with their ultimate goal of releasing him successfully back into his habitat. You can follow San Diego Humane Society on Facebook for any updates! Check out some cute footage of the cub in the video below.