Watch rescuer free bear cubs separated from mom 40 feet up tree in North Carolina
Two bear cubs were spotted at least 40 feet above ground before a harrowing rescue in the North Carolina treetops.
The young bears — which had gotten separated from their mom — were found clinging to a tree trunk after one cub’s paw got stuck, according to video posted on the Facebook page for Help Asheville Bears.
“One of the cub’s siblings had stayed with it,” the nonprofit group wrote on Wednesday, April 13. “Both were gnawing on (a) branch to try to free the one cub.”
The group said it was “anxious” about the bears until someone from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission arrived to lend a hand. Video shows the worker using a ladder and other equipment to climb up to the young bears.
“Once he reached the cubs, he was able to grab ahold of the cub and free (its) rear paw,” which didn’t show signs of being injured, Help Asheville Bears wrote.
Officials said the moments were caught on camera April 13 in the Kenilworth area of Asheville, a mountain town popular with tourists. The group praised the wildlife commission worker, who it said allowed the cub to get down the tree on its own after it was no longer trapped.
“Because Mama Bear frequents that area on a daily basis (although she stayed out of sight with her other two cubs today), there should be a reunion very soon,” the group wrote.
A spokesperson for the wildlife agency confirmed that it was called to a tree after a “cub had been crying for at least three hours.” After the rescue, officials continued monitoring the area and didn’t see the cubs by the following morning.
Black bears are the only bear species that live in North Carolina, and they’re found in the eastern and western parts of the state. Though adult bears can weigh hundreds of pounds, the animals are born weighing about 1 pound.
“Cubs usually stay with their mother through their first two winters,” the wildlife commission said on its website. “Once bears are yearlings (12-24 months old), they will disperse away from their mother from May through June.”
This story was originally published April 14, 2022 at 10:43 AM with the headline "Watch rescuer free bear cubs separated from mom 40 feet up tree in North Carolina."
