Bear cub pulled from tree for selfie released back into wild in western NC
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The bear cub that was pulled from a tree in Asheville to take selfies was released back into the wild in western North Carolina after spending months at a wildlife refuge.
The cub gained national attention after a video surfaced in mid-April of a group of people at an apartment complex finding a pair of black bear cubs in a tree. The group then went into the tree, pulled both of the bears out of the tree, and then started taking pictures and videos with them.
A witness took out their camera and filmed part of what happened and turned that video over to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC).
One of the cubs was later rescued by the Wildlife Commission in a nearby retention pond and taken to a wildlife refuge in Candler. The second cub which was presumed to be the cub's sibling, was never found, according to the NCWRC.
It is unknown whether the cubs were orphaned or whether they were waiting in the tree for their mother to return.
The Wildlife Commission said after she was determined to be healthy, the female bear cub was released in an undisclosed and remote mountain area. The cub was also given a tracking collar, I.D. tag, and marks before she was released.
"The GPS collar data shows that she is adjusting well to life back in the wild," said NCWRC Bearwise Coordinator Ashley Hobbs. "Like most rehabilitated black bear cubs, we expect this cub to follow its instincts this winter and identify an appropriate location to den. Bear cubs are resilient animals, and it looks like this cub won't be an exception."
According to the NCWRC, it is illegal in North Carolina to possess or keep a black bear cub.
NCWRC wildlife biologists said bear cubs seen alone are rarely orphaned, and the mother is often nearby foraging for food and will return.
"People who try to capture or handle a cub are not only risking the cub's safety but their own if the mother bear is nearby, as she may try to defend her cubs," said Game Mammals and Surveys Supervisor Colleen Olfenbuttel. "By trying to capture a bear cub, you may cause it to become orphaned, injured, or both."
