A bear cub that was tangled in a wire fence is free, thanks to Colorado Parks & Wildlife officials, who posted footage of the dramatic rescue on social media.
"Kids can get into everything, even bear cubs," CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, sharing a heartwrenching image of a cub that was unable to move.
Kids can get into everything, even bear cubs. Wildlife officers responded to a cub stuck in some gnarly wire fencing in Evergreen on Saturday. The sow is nearby, but she's not able to help free her cub. That's where we step in to lend a hand. pic.twitter.com/cWWybERfeS
— CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) June 2, 2024
There was one complication for they sprung to action, though. The cub's mom wasn't far away. Images show the mama eyeing her cub from her perch in a tree.
"The sow is nearby, but she's not able to help free her cub," the officials said. "That's where we step in to lend a hand."
To ensure a safe rescue of the cub, the officials explained that they tranquilized the mom first to prevent her from getting involved.
While black bears are typically scared of people and prefer to avoid perceived danger, according to Colorado Parks & Wildlife's official website, mama bears are well known for their protective instincts.
"Never get between a mother and her cub," the National Park Service warns, noting that Yellowstone National Park, for example, advises people to keep at least 300 feet away from any bear, regardless of its species or whether it is with a cub.
After subduing the mom, officials moved quickly. They used a catchpole on the cub as they cut the wire, to keep the young bear from further harming itself on the barbs.
"The cub isn't making happy sounds, but soon it will be free and much better," CPW wrote, sharing further footage of a K9 officer scaring the bears away from the fence to ensure they didn't end up in the same predicament. An image also reveals the mother was no worse for the wear after waking up from her stupor.
While there didn't appear to be any improperly disposed trash in the footage from CPW, Colorado Bear Coalition founder Brenda Lee told Fox31's KDVR that people can help other bears by removing and protecting items that entice the wild animals, including bird feeders.
"With bird feeders, we really recommend pulling those bird feeders in from April to October," Lee explained. "And finding plants, fruit-bearing plants, that birds can eat, and bears don't like."
Colorado Parks & Wildlife also recommends closing and locking bear-accessible doors and windows, cleaning barbecue grills after every use, and avoiding items that smell (like air fresheners) in vehicles, among other things.
It's unclear who rightfully called in the situation to Colorado Parks & Wildlife, but the heartwarming ending to this story highlights how education is a powerful tool to ensure local climate action has the desired outcome. If the mother had attacked unprofessional rescuers trying to save her cub, she likely would have been euthanized for her defensive instincts.
"A complicated rescue with a happy ending!" CPW wrote. "Thanks to our officers who put wildlife health and safety first."
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