The bear cub has been safely released back into the wild in Western North Carolina, months after a contentious incident in Asheville where locals took it from a tree for a picture. According to ABC11, the bear was treated by wildlife rehabilitation experts until it was well enough to be released into a remote mountain region with an ID tag and tracking collar.
A video of locals removing the bear from a tree for selfies went viral in April, drawing attention to the bear and prompting the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) to take action. The cub ended up in a retention pond before being transferred to a sanctuary, according to WRAL News. It is unknown whether the cubs were orphaned or momentarily alone while their mother was foraging, and their sibling, who is also shown in the video, is still missing.
The wildlife community hopes that this incident will draw attention to the moral and legal ramifications of tampering with wildlife, particularly for photographic purposes. “Those who attempt to capture or handle a cub are not only endangering the cub’s safety, but their own if the mother bear is nearby, as she may try to defend her cubs,” NCWRC biologist Colleen Olfenbuttel cautioned, as reported by WRAL News.
According to Ashley Hobbs, NCWRC Bearwise coordinator, “the GPS collar data shows that she is adjusting well to life back in the wild,” ABC11 said.
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