AP
Wildlife experts warned people to stay away from black bears after video surfaced earlier this week showing people attempting to snatch two bear cubs from a tree in western North Carolina.
The incident occurred outside an apartment complex in Buncombe County and was captured on video Tuesday.
In a video posted by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, several people are seen attempting to pull two black bears from a low tree branch. One person appears to be holding the cub and taking a photo with the wild animal. After screaming, the person drops the cub, and the animal is seen running along the fence while the person chases the cub.
Rachel Staudt, a resident of the apartment complex where the incident occurred, said: Asheville Citizen Time She reportedly decided to start recording the episode after asking other residents not to pull the pups from the trees.
Ashley Hobbs, a biologist at the NCWRC and coordinator of BearWise, a national education program aimed at helping black bears and people coexist safely, told NPR that the cub seen in the video running along the fence was found in a pond soaking wet and shivering. Near an apartment complex. An NCWRC news release said the location of the other bear seen in the video has not yet been determined.
The found cub was taken to an NCWRC rehabilitation facility, and Hobbs told NPR that the bear is now “doing very well.” She is eating and drinking well and she found no lasting injuries from her encounter after NCWRC staff conducted a full evaluation of the cub, she said.
That said, Hobbs warns that this case is not without consequences. “We want wild bears to stay wild,” she said.
The rescued cub is scheduled to be released into the wild in the fall.
Raising wild animals in captivity can be stressful for the animals, and sometimes rehabilitation facilities cannot mimic the conditions and care the animals are accustomed to in their natural environment, Hobbs said. For safety and conservation purposes, Hobbs says he avoids breeding the cubs whenever possible.
Black bear cubs usually stay with their mothers for about 18 months, according to the National Park Service. The cubs spotted in Newcombe County were only two months old, Hobbs said.
“They still depend on their mothers for milk at that age,” she added.
Because the cub was removed from the tree and could not be reunited with its mother, it must be raised at an NCWRC rehabilitation facility before being fully weaned in the fall and released into the mountains of western North Carolina, Hobbs said. he said
What should you do if you encounter a black bear cub?
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It is common for female black bears to leave their cubs in a safe location while they forage for food. “She will forage for hours and then come back and pick it up,” Hobbs said.
She also said it is normal to see more black bears in North Carolina during the spring when they are more active than during the winter when they hibernate.
For this reason, Hobbs warns that if you see your pup alone in a brush pile or even on your back porch, it doesn't mean he or she is actually in danger or needs help. “Most of the time, that’s not the case. So, if you see a cub alone, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. So it’s better to give it a lot of space.”
If you see a pup, Hobbs recognizes that you may be tempted to approach them because they are “the cutest little animals you've ever found.” But she warns, “Never approach or attempt to handle a black bear cub.”
This is dangerous for the cubs as there is a risk of them being accidentally injured, orphaned, or separated from their mother while handling them.
Hobbs said interacting with the pups can also put people at risk. According to BearWise, black bears are rarely aggressive. But Hobbs said that if he felt the need to protect his food or offspring, he would harm people.
If you encounter a black bear cub, give it plenty of space and “back up and go in the opposite direction.”
If you feel like taking pictures, try taking them from a distance. “Cameras these days have a zoom feature. If you want to take a picture, by all means, use the zoom feature,” Hobbs said.
Commission spokeswoman Anna Gurney said in an email to The Associated Press on Friday that no charges will be filed against those who disturb the pups.