‘Feisty and ready to go,’ North Carolina bear cub rescued after head trapped in a container
By WLOS Staff
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ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — A bear cub with a container stuck on her head has been freed and released back into the wild.
Wildlife biologists are praising Asheville residents who helped them track her down. They got the first report Monday night after the cub was spotted in North Asheville.
District Biologist Justin McVey received the initial report late Monday night that a bear cub was seen with a jug on its head, likely a result from trash. McVey and staff spent the next two days looking for the bear, and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission asked the public to help pinpoint her location.
“Thanks to direct calls to our biologists and messages in response to our agency’s NextDoor post, Asheville residents led us directly to the cub,” McVey said in a news release. “We were able to safely dart and anesthetize the bear, remove the jug from her head and perform a health check. She was in great health, with no injuries or lacerations, and immediately relocated to a remote area in Western North Carolina.”
McVey said the cub was feisty and ready to go upon release. He said the outcome could have been much different if the people of Asheville hadn’t worked directly with the Wildlife Commission to locate the bear.
“Thanks to everyone who helped our staff quickly respond to this cub in distress. Our staff are trained specifically for these types of situations. It’s a huge help when folks contact us directly; it helps us respond quickly,” McVey said in the release.
If you see an injured bear or suspect an orphaned cub, please don’t approach it. Instead, leave it alone, note the location and contact your local Wildlife Commission district biologist or call the NC Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401 from 8 a.m.– 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
To learn more about how to live responsibly with bears, including tips about how to properly secure trash, visit BearWise.org.
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