Abandoned bear cub needed a new home — then a North Carolina museum stepped in
A small bear was abandoned near a mountain tourist destination — until she found a new home in North Carolina.
The cub, affectionately called “Little Bear,” is getting a second chance at life as she settles in at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, according to photos posted online Tuesday, Nov. 9.
The wildlife center said her rescue journey started in September, when the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission reported finding a 40-pound black bear outside Asheville, a popular vacation spot in Western North Carolina.
“The cub showed behavior that would not allow her to survive in the wild, so she was deemed unsuitable for release,” museum officials wrote in a blog post. “Officials hoped to find her a home that would give her a shot at long-term survival.”
That’s when the young bear was taken to the Museum of Life and Science, a campus that includes a science center, butterfly conservatory and accredited zoo, according to its website.
While in Durham, the cub “began her 30-day quarantine, separated, but in eye and earshot of our three big bears,” named Gus, Mimi and Yona, the museum said. The new animal also got a veterinary check-up and started easing into the main habitat.
“The staff quickly began calling her ‘Little Bear’ not only because of her age but her small stature, which is quite staggering when comparing her to our fully-grown bears,” officials said. “Gus currently weighs around 415 pounds.”
Though Little Bear hasn’t gotten that big, she’s grown to 61 pounds. Officials told McClatchy News the cub had been curious but somewhat nervous in her new environment, where she recently took her first swim.
“This little bear has health challenges we are working to solve and manage throughout the introduction period and beyond,” animal care director Sherry Samuels said in the blog post. “We’re seeing progress and hope this continues as she adjusts to her new home.”
Visitors may be able to see the cub soon, though the museum warns that bears tend to stay in “rest spots” as it gets colder.
And it turns out, Little Bear may not have her nickname for much longer. Officials encourage people to keep an eye out on the museum’s social media pages for details about a contest to name the cub.
In the wild, black bears live in the western and eastern parts of North Carolina. They weigh about 1 pound at birth, and females typically reach 100 to 300 pounds as adults, according to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.
This story was originally published November 9, 2021 at 3:10 PM with the headline "Abandoned bear cub needed a new home — then a North Carolina museum stepped in."
