People take bear cubs from trees for selfies – now the orphaned cub is being cared for by a nature reserve

According to CBS News, Ashley Hobbs, special projects biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, responded to a call about the incident and said people were still taking selfies, but only one of the cubs was still present — and he was limping walked. lethargic and had a low body temperature.

Hobbs says she has confronted people and warned that handling wild animals poses serious dangers to both people and animals. There’s a chance the mother bear was nearby and attacked to defend her cubs. There is also a chance that the cub may not be able to reunite with its mother.

Wildlife experts say it is also not uncommon for bear cubs to be left alone by their mothers in the spring and summer, as mother bears may abandon them while they search for food.

But the cub was determined to be orphaned, and since she wouldn’t survive on her own, she was taken in by the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge Center in Candler.

“We always want all wild animals to be left in the wild and raised by their mothers, but we work hard every day to provide these wild animals with a place to go to those who really need our intervention,” says Appalachian Wildlife Refuge Executive Director Savannah Trantham said in a press release.

After receiving some care, the cub was paired with another orphaned cub that the organization had rescued earlier this season.

“Both cubs are thriving and doing well in care,” Trantham said. “They are eating well and interacting with enrichment, doing all the things we hope to see in young cubs.”

Appalachian Wildlife Refuge hopes the bear cubs can be released into the wild after their rehabilitation in the fall.

According to CBS, no charges have been filed against the people who handled the bear cubs. Although it is illegal to capture and keep black bears, people released them, so no charges were warranted.

But Appalachian Wildlife Refuge hopes the story is a warning against people interfering with wildlife. They say they are constantly rehabilitating all kinds of animals that have been harassed by humans.

“If all turtles, snakes, rabbits, opossums, squirrels, birds, raccoons and fawns had the same reaction when people harass, steal and harm them, we would win,” Trantham said. “Unfortunately for us, this cub is just one of many animals we are rehabilitating due to the negative consequences of inappropriate human interactions.”

It’s unbelievable that anyone would grab a wild bear cub to take selfies, but we’re glad this sweet cub is in good hands and hope she can be released into the wild in the fall.

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