Orphaned Cub Accepted by Another Mother
In Tennessee, an orphaned cub was accepted by another nursing black bear mother. Last week a black bear was hit by a car, leaving behind her cub. A person happened to walk by and heard the cub crying. They called the Appalachian Bear Rescue to help the cub. If it wasn’t for this person, the cub would have most likely died.
With the help of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), they were able to find the perfect home for the orphaned cub. TWRA had the perfect bear in mind for the job. Recently, two of their members assisted the National Park Service and Cherokee National Forest with a bear mission. They tracked and immobilized the bear in order to change the battery in her radio cellar. While they were there they discovered that she had two bear cubs. The cubs were estimated to be around 6 weeks old. A biologist assessed the cubs and placed pit tags on them.
Since the mama bear had cubs of her own, the team naturally thought of her as being the perfect adopted mother. They placed the black bear orphaned cub in front of her den and waited. Shortly after, the mama bear reached out to the cub and pulled it into the den.
Mom of Three
This story has a happy ending but not all orphaned cubs get the same ending. In this case, the mama bear had previously orphaned a cub. The team knew there was a high chance that she would accept this cub as well. I’m just glad that this 1.8lb orphaned cub will get to grow with two siblings and have a chance to thrive and survive.
Please remember to be more aware and alert when driving. Spring is the time when animals emerge from hibernation and showcase their new offspring. Let’s not leave cubs to grow without their mothers.