Hiker hears cries in Vermont woods — and finds adorable bear cub with no mom in sight
A baby bear got a new home after a woman found it alone in a forest, Vermont wildlife officials said.
The hiker was moving through the woods when she stumbled upon the bear cub “alone and crying,” according to a March 20 Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department Facebook post. She then called for wildlife officials’ help to rescue it, the department said.
When department staff members arrived, the cub retreated inside its den, causing officials to search for it.
After locating the cub again, they realized its mother was nowhere in sight, the department said.
One of the officials scooped up the abandoned bear and removed it from the area as they contacted the Kilham Bear Center in Lyme, New Hampshire, the department said. The bear center would become the cub’s temporary home until it grows older and is released back into the wild, according to the department.
If the baby bear wasn’t rescued, the department said it likely would have died on its own.
“This story also serves as a reminder that bears are active right now and we can all do our part to ensure that they remain wild,” the department said in its post.
Although it’s unknown how long the cub was alone, the department said it predicts it was by itself “for a while” because baby bears don’t typically cry out repeatedly. The cub’s crying indicates it may have been hypothermic.
“Every spring we encourage folks to contact their local game warden if they truly believe that a young animal has been abandoned,” the department said in the comments.
Many Facebook commenters congratulated the department on rescuing the cub and wished it well.
“Thank you to everyone involved. I can imagine it was quite a rewarding feeling,” a user wrote.
Lyme is about a 135-mile drive northwest from Boston.
This story was originally published March 20, 2024 at 11:30 AM with the headline "Hiker hears cries in Vermont woods — and finds adorable bear cub with no mom in sight."
