Orphaned Cub Rescued After Car Crash
On Friday night, a mother bear and two cubs were struck by a car, leaving one orphaned cub behind. At 8:43 PM Greenfield Police Officers responded to the call and came to Route 2. At the scene, the officers heard squealing made from the third cub. The orphaned cub climbed a tree to seek refuge. Can you imagine seeing your two siblings and mother hit by a car? How would you feel? My heart aches for this cub.
The two officers that arrived at the scene, Officer Lagoy and Purinton, did not want to leave the cub alone. While a cub can survive on its own at five months old, they don’t leave their mother until they are at least a year old. The officers did not want the bear to have a murky end so they were able to rescue him from the tree and take him to the station.
The cub stayed at the police station in a kennel provided by AMR. On Saturday, Tufts Wildlife Clinic took the cub for evaluation. The cub will be in their care until he is ready to be released back into the wild.
If you live in a black bear state, please be aware of your surroundings. A bear should never be left an orphan due to a car accident. If you see a bear and cubs crossing the road, try to slow down or make noise to help steer them away.
