A seven-week-old cub that was weeping on the side of the road after its mother was killed by a car was adopted by an Amama bear in Tennessee.
TWRA announced on Facebook that the orphaned bear cub was found by a passerby in the Cherokee National Forest in Cocke County. Appalachian Bear Rescue took the cub in before attempting to find him a new mother.
Only a week earlier, wildlife authorities had discovered the mother grizzly with her two healthy cubs. In the past, she had taken in orphaned bear cubs.
Five months into their lives, bear cubs are capable of surviving without their moms, but until then they are completely dependent on their mothers. Although it is not unheard of for female bears to adopt young cubs, this is still a rare occurrence.
According to a post on the bear rescue’s Facebook page, wildlife officials hiked to the mother bear’s den carrying the orphaned baby in a backpack and additional blankets and bottles of formula.
Rescuers were able to hear the cubs breastfeeding as they neared the den, indicating that “time was ideal.”
The cub was then brought to the den’s entrance by the curators, who stood back to observe. Finally, the orphaned cub was brought to the mother bear’s side by her paw.
“Quickly, Peace Bear made its way into the den. The last time we saw his tiny footprints, he had gone to join his new bear family “Appalachian Bear Rescue stated on Facebook.
Introducing a baby bear to another mother is “no simple undertaking,” according to Appalachian Bear Rescue. “Timing is essential.”
While transporting the bear cub to his new home, the bear rescue’s curators had to stop to feed the bear.
“You want to have everything just right, so make sure the foster cub is full and ready to milk from his new mom as soon as he enters the new den so that he doesn’t make a lot of noise. Keeping it all in check is a tough balancing act: “Rescuers of a bear mentioned this.
About 1,500 black bears live in the Cherokee National Forest. However, visitors rarely get a chance to witness the elusive species.
The number of bears being injured by cars in National Parks increased significantly in 2019. There were 35 bears killed by cars near the Smoky Mountains in ten months, according to WBIR in Tennessee. There is an increasing human population in the vicinity of bear habitats.