A disturbing video shows people carelessly pulling a bear cub from a tree in North Carolina to take a selfie.
A group of about six people were caught on video pulling three frightened black bear cubs over a fence and out of a tree at a Buncombe County apartment complex on Tuesday. ABC13 News reported.
In the video, multiple bears can be seen posing with the cub, some even dropping it while still holding it.
Another cub was seen running away from the herd, trying desperately to get back over the fence.
Police were called to the scene and requested assistance from Ashley Hobbs, a special projects biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
Hobbs said she saw video of three cubs, but only one was left when she arrived at the scene.
“We followed up with the people who pulled the bear out of the tree,” Hobbs told the magazine.
“We confronted them on the scene that day and told them how irresponsible and potentially deadly it would be to separate that cub from its mother, especially from a tree like that. .”
Wildlife experts said it is unusual for a mother bear to leave her cub in a tree at this time of year. Hobbs said one of the cubs appeared very wet and cold.
She suspects the cubs were probably left alone for a long time.
It’s unclear how long the cub had been alone, but the ordeal of now being separated from its other cubs and removed from safety by humans has shaken it up.
“We think the bear probably went through a pretty traumatic experience,” Hobbs told the magazine.
The baby will be taken to a rehabilitation facility for evaluation and eventually released back into the wild.
Although there was no serious damage, the video remains puzzling, she said.
“It’s frustrating to see people be so irresponsible with wildlife, because it’s a blessing that we live in the mountains surrounded by these creatures.”
Such blatant disregard for wildlife is unusual, but Hobbs hopes it will be an educational experience for everyone involved.
Jody Williams, founder of Help Asheville Bears, also saw the video and was disturbed by the carelessness of those involved.
“It’s all about selfies, it’s all about selfies,” Williams told the magazine.
“That’s just ignorance and complete selfishness. This is not what we are talking about when we talk about coexistence.”
Williams said more people who live around wild animals, especially bears, need to be educated on the do’s and don’ts, one of which is never to capture cubs. Ta.
The most common bears in North America are the black bear and the grizzly or brown bear.
If you encounter a bear in the wild, whether it’s a cub or a full-grown bear, you should always keep your distance and do your best not to startle them, the magazine said. US National Park Service.
It is important to avoid female bears with cubs. Never try to get between them or get close to them.
By doing so, the mother is much more likely to attack to protect her child.
