A black bear cub was photographed at the Triple D Game Ranch in Kalispell, Mont., in 2005.
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A black bear cub was photographed at the Triple D Game Ranch in Kalispell, Mont., in 2005.
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Wildlife experts are warning people not to approach black bears after a video earlier this week showed people in western North Carolina trying to catch two bear cubs from a tree.
The incident happened outside an apartment complex in Buncombe County and was captured on video Tuesday.
In the video, posted by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, several people tried to pull two black bears from a low tree branch. One person tried to grab a bear cub and pose for a photo with the wild animal. After shouting, the person dropped the cub and the animal was seen running along the fence as the person gave chase.
Rachel Staudt, a resident of the apartment complex where the incident occurred, told reporters. Asheville Citizen-Times that she decided to start recording the episode after asking other residents to stop dragging the cubs in the trees.
Ashley Hobbs, NCWRC biologist and coordinator of the BearWise, a national education program that helps people live safely with black bears, told NPR that the cub running along the fence in the video was found wet and shivering in a holding pond near an apartment complex. NCWRC New information posted said the other bear in the video has not yet been located.
The found cub was taken to the NCWRC’s rehabilitation facility, and Hobbs told NPR that the bear is now “doing excellently.” She said it was eating well and after NCWRC staff were able to fully evaluate the cub, they did not find any lasting injuries from the encounter.
That said, Hobbs warns that the incident is not without consequences. “We want wild bears to stay wild,” she said.
The rescued cub will be kept in captivity before being released into the wild in the fall
Keeping wild animals in captivity can be stressful for the animals, Hobbs said, and sometimes rehabilitation facilities cannot mimic the conditions and care to which the animals are accustomed. in their natural environment. For their safety and conservation, Hobbs said keeping cubs in captivity should be avoided whenever possible.
Black bear cubs usually stay with their mothers for about 18 months, according to the National Park Service. Hobbs said the cubs seen in Newcombe County were only a few months old.
“They still depend on their mother’s milk” at that age, she added.
Because the cub was removed from the tree and cannot be reunited with its mother, it will need to be raised at the NCWRC rehabilitation facility before being released into the mountains of western North Carolina when it is fully weaned in fall, Hobbs said.
What to do if you encounter a black bear
A female Baribal American black bear and her newborn cubs walk through their enclosure at the Planete Sauvage zoological park in Port-Saint-Pere, near Nantes, western France, on May 3, 2019.
Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Images
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Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Images
A female Baribal American black bear and her newborn cubs walk through their enclosure at the Planete Sauvage zoological park in Port-Saint-Pere, near Nantes, western France, on May 3, 2019.
Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Images
Female black bears often leave their young in safe areas while they search for food. “She will feed for a few hours and will come back to pick them up,” Hobbs said.
She also said it is normal to see more black bears in the spring when they are more active than in the winter when they hibernate in North Carolina.
For that reason, Hobbs warns that if you see a cub alone in a brush pile or even on your back porch, it doesn’t mean it’s actually in danger or in need of help. “Most of the time that’s not the case. So if you see the cubs alone, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. And that’s why you should give them plenty of space.”
If you see a bear cub, Hobbs realizes you might want to approach them because they are some of the “cutest little animals you’ll ever find.” But she warns, “you should never approach or attempt to handle a black bear cub.”
This is dangerous for the cub because you could accidentally injure it while holding it or put it at risk of being orphaned or separated from its mother.
Hobbs said interactions with cubs can also put humans at risk. According to BearWise, black bears rarely become aggressive. However, Hobbs said, they will harm a person if they feel the need to protect their food or children.
If you encounter a black bear cub, give them plenty of space, “back off and walk in the opposite direction.”
If you feel like taking photos, just take them from a distance. “Today we have zoom on our cameras,” Hobbs said. Definitely use zoom if you want to take photos.”
Commission spokeswoman Anna Gurney speak Related press in an email on Friday that no charges would be filed against those who disturbed the cubs.
