At least one black bear cub was pulled from a tree along with another by people seeking photos, leaving them with „mild trauma.“
video shot by a witness On Tuesday, a group of bears were seen pulling two struggling bear cubs from a low tree branch and posing for a photo with them outside an apartment complex in Asheville, North Carolina.
At one point, one of the cubs can be seen struggling to escape as a human chases him.
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission staff were called to the scene after the cub bit a resident. Wildlife Conservation Service said in a press release Thursday.
NCWRC biologist and bear expert Ashley Hobbs said in a press release that the cub was found sitting alone in the facility's detention pond, „lethargic and frightened.“ The cub was „wet and shivering“ and was „cherishing“ one of its paws, indicating it may be injured.
Hobbs said the baby was „obviously a little traumatized“ after the ordeal. told the Asheville Citizen-Times..
![The cub was rescued from the pond and taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center.](https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/6623cfc12300001c000d35a4.jpeg?cache=ASQ99ozD4Q&ops=scalefit_720_noupscale)
![The cub was rescued from the pond and taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center.](https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/6623cfc12300001c000d35a4.jpeg?cache=ASQ99ozD4Q&ops=scalefit_720_noupscale)
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
The baby was rescued at the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge and is currently thriving. CBS News reported. The bear will remain in a rehabilitation facility until it is old enough to be released back into the wild.
The other cub was never found, but Hobbs told the Citizen Times that this is „not necessarily a bad thing“ and may indicate it has found its way back to its mother. Ta. He said mother bears typically hide their cubs in „a safe place like a tree“ while they forage for food.
A witness who shot the video told news outlets he did it after people ignored his pleas to stop bothering the bear.
State wildlife officials said those who took photos with the babies will not face charges.
“While dangerous and unfortunate, this appears to be an isolated incident,” an NCWRC spokesperson said. told the Associated Press on friday. The spokesperson added that wildlife officers and biologists spoke with those who harassed the bear about why it was important to leave the cub alone.
“Anyone attempting to capture or handle a bear cub is not only risking the safety of the cub, but also their own safety as the mother bear may try to protect the cub if she is nearby. It also puts them at risk,” said Colleen Olfenbuttel, NCWRC Game Mammal and Research Supervisor. In the agency's press release.
„While it may seem obvious,“ the release states, no one of any age should ever approach a bear or attempt to take a photo with it.
„As we saw in this case, things don't often end well for humans or bears,“ Olfenbuttel said.