ASHEVILLE, N.C. — North Carolina wildlife officials say an orphaned bear cub that was seen being pulled out of a tree for selfies in April 2024 is now back in the wild.
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) shared on Tuesday it released the female cub into a remote area in the mountains after rehabilitation. The cub gained attention after a viral video showed a group of people removing her from a tree at an Asheville apartment complex for photographs, which is illegal in the state.
After determining the cub was healthy, wildlife officials fitted her with a GPS tracking collar and identifying tags before release. The group ended up not facing charges.
Ashley Hobbs, a BearWise coordinator with the commission, said the cub appears to be adapting back to life in the wild based on the collar's data.
“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," she said.
This was the ninth bear cub rehabilitated and released by NCWRC in 2024. The agency has been rehabilitating orphaned black bear cubs since 1976.
The commission notes a second cub, believed to be her sibling, was seen fleeing at the time of the incident and was not located.
Wildlife leaders remind residents and visitors that people who spot bear cubs shouldn't handle them, try to catch them, remove them from the wild, or feed them. Instead, note your location and call the NC Wildlife Helpline at (866) 318-2401. If you need to make contact after hours or on weekends, look up a district wildlife biologist to make a report.
“It’s imperative for the public to never feed a bear of any age. This will cause it to become habituated to people, and with cubs, it makes it more challenging for successful rehabilitation back into the wild," said Colleen Olfenbuttel, Game Mammals and Surveys Supervisor with the commission. "Last year, an orphaned cub was repeatedly approached and fed by people and despite our rehabilitator’s best efforts, the cub was too habituated to be successfully released back in the wild.”
Check out these links for more information about black bear rehabilitation and bear denning.
Asheville is located about 129 miles northwest of Charlotte.