She is getting her bearings.
A black bear cub plucked from a tree by clueless selfie photographers earlier this month is thriving at a North Carolina animal shelter.
The orphaned bruin has been recuperating at Appalachian Wildlife Refuge for the past two weeks under the close care of a dedicated team and has also made new friends since being separated from his family in the wild.
“After some time adjusting to our care, she was introduced to another orphaned baby who had arrived earlier. Both babies are progressing well and are doing well in our care. ” said Savannah Trantham, executive director of the shelter. said in a statement.
“They are eating well, communicating well and doing all the things we want to see with young kids.”
“Our team has no reason to believe that the bear will not be released into the wild in the fall.”
The cubs were brought to the animal sanctuary on April 16, the same day a video shows a group of about six people pulling three terrified cubs from a tree and over a fence at an apartment complex in Asheville. became a hot topic.
In the video, several bears can be seen posing with the cubs, with some even dropping them while still holding them.
Another cub was also seen running away from the herd, trying desperately to get back over the fence.
By the time animal rescuers arrived, the two cubs had fled to safety, leaving one sibling behind.
“This incident has understandably caused feelings of frustration, sadness and anger in many viewers. The act of witnessing these shocking images has helped people understand the extraordinary circumstances that wildlife face every day. I hope this will encourage people to think about real-world issues,” said Trantham.
Strangely, the group’s inappropriate behavior may have saved the lonely baby’s life.
The cubs looked very wet and cold, leading experts to speculate that the three cubs may have been left in the tree for a long time. This is unusual for a mother bear at this time of year.
At that time, Appalachian Wildlife Refuge chose to preserve the bruin, with plans to release it back into the wild in the coming months.
“We always want all wild animals to be left in the wild and raised by their mothers, but we go for the ones where these wild animals really need our intervention. We work hard every day to provide space,” Trantham said.
The selfie-taking blockheads were let go after Wildlife Resources Commission officials chose not to charge them with animal disturbance. Instead, they were warned about the importance of leaving the cub alone, even if her mother was nowhere to be found.
“It’s not unusual for baby animals to be separated from their mothers during the spring and summer months, and it’s not necessarily a cause for concern,” Trantham said.
“Many mothers in the wild leave their babies in a safe place while they forage and return when the time comes to feed or move their young. We leave them alone. You look at them and think they must have been orphaned or abandoned, but most of the time they’re where they’re supposed to be.
“After all, wild mothers know best!”
