Cub Yanked Out Of Tree For Photos Has Been Released Back To Wild After Rescue

A black bear cub rescued after being harassed and pulled out of a tree for a photo op has been released back into the wild.
Wildlife officials found the female cub wet and cold in a retention pond at an apartment complex in Asheville, North Carolina, in April. A witness had called authorities after seeing a group of people yanking two struggling cubs out of a nearby tree in attempt to take photos with them.
The cub was “lethargic and frightened” when wildlife workers got to her, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission biologist and bear specialist Ashley Hobbs said at the time. Her sibling had run away before rescuers got there, and was not located.
The cub was brought to the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge, where the plan was for her to stay until she was old enough to be released back to the wild.
The NCWRC announced that day had finally arrived in a press release on Wednesday, saying she had been released “in an undisclosed and remote Western North Carolina mountain area.”
Video of the release shows the bear sprinting away from her transport cage. The man who opens the cage door can be seen firing a noise gun that the agency described in the video caption as a “scare-away screamer siren” meant to “maintain natural fear of humans.”
The bear was also fitted with a GPS tracking collar. Data from the collar so far shows that “she is adjusting well to life back in the wild,” Hobbs said in the release.
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She added, “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.”
The wildlife commission emphasized the importance of the general public staying away from bear cubs, for both the animals’ sake and their own safety. Trying to handle cubs can injure or traumatize them, or cause them to be separated from their mothers. And nearby mother bears could try and defend their offspring.
If a person suspects that a bear cub might be orphaned, the best course of action is to contact their state wildlife agency, Hobbs told local media in April.
The agency previously said that the people who had been grabbing and taking photos with the cubs would not face charges, adding that wildlife officers had spoken with them about why it’s crucial to not bother bear cubs.