The 10-week-old cubs were found on the side of the Blue Ridge Parkway and were brought to Blount County non-profit Appalachian Bear Rescue on Saturday.
The pair is the first set of cubs the rescue has received this year. They are calling them Ridgeway and Bonnie Blue.
Weighing about five pounds each the cubs were found sandwiched between the Blue Ridge Parkway and a cliff. Their mother was nowhere in sight and they had been there at least one full day.
“They could have fallen off that rock bluff. It was a very different spot to find two cubs right near the road. I mean they literally had nowhere to go,” said Coy Blair, Head Curator at Appalachian Bear Rescue.
The rescue takes in abandoned cubs or injured bears, helping them get back on track to go back into the wild.
“Overall they were in pretty good shape. They were a little small obviously, severely dehydrated,” said Blair.
Appalachian Bear Rescue does not allow visitors to see the cubs because they say it makes the eventual transition back into the wild much easier with little human contact.
“You just try to get it done and get them out into the wild enclosures as quickly as possible,” said Blair.
Wildlife officials also say do not jump to conclusions if you see cubs you think are abandoned. Just because you do not see their mother does not mean she is not nearby, and getting too close could push her further away.
“Everybody’s grown up looking at teddy bears. That’s like the number one little icon as far as toys and stuffed animals, but you don’t pick them up. They could really hurt you,” said Blair.
He says call the National Park Service or your local wildlife agency to check on the bears and always remember bears are wild animals. Keep your distance.
“People hear this all the time, but I still see it you know,” he said.
Appalachian Bear Rescue says once the cubs are strong enough they will be taken back to North Carolina. They hope that can be done by mid August.
The rescue also relies on donations to support the bears. Each cub can take more than $3,000 to care for.
(WATE - April 7, 2015)
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