Wildlife rehab: Bear cub pulled from tree is doing well, paired up with another orphan

By Kelly Doty

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    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — A bear cub that was pulled from a tree by people who wanted to pose with it for photos is doing well, according to the wildlife rescue that took it in.

Savannah Trantham, the executive director of Appalachian Wildlife Refuge, said the organization has been working to care for that bear for two weeks.

They say it is safe and well cared for despite being separated from its mom. It’s since been paired up with another single cub.

When the female cub arrived, caretakers said she was very stressed, but both cubs are now thriving.

Officials said this incident may have gone viral, but the group is called on to rehabilitate orphaned animals year-round.

“A lot of times, we tend to forget that with those small mammals that a lot of people consider nuisance animals or pests and things from our rabbits and possums to snakes and turtles and different kinds of birds,” Savannah Trantham, the executive director of Appalachian Wildlife Refuge, said. “We see them all the time being harassed and harmed and stolen or kidnapped from mamas or nests.”

Appalachian Wildlife Refuge officials said the first cub they received this season was also taken from a tree and kept by a person for several days.

Properly caring for wildlife is expensive. Appalachian Wildlife Refuge said just rehabilitating one bear cub can cost $20,000-$30,000 throughout the season.

“They are not only our most expensive patients, but also our most challenging to meet all of their needs and ensure we raise cubs that can be successful as wild bears,” Trantham said in a written statement. “The incredible support from our donors and followers makes it possible to provide the space and care for these cubs and all the injured and orphaned wild patients we receive.”

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