Bear cub rescued by local residents

A bear cub is back safe and sound with its momma today after some local residents came to its rescue earlier this week.

“We first saw the cub with its mom and three siblings last Sunday,” said Pulaski’s Sherry Berry. “They passed through our field and as we were watching them, we saw one of the cubs had something stuck on its head.”

9 4 bear 3Berry said she saw the bear family again on Monday morning, minus one cub.

“We thought the cub had died, but as I was getting ready for work my dog started barking. I looked out and there was the cub with a jar of some kind on his head up in my apple tree,” Berry recalled.

Berry then called her brother, Mike and cousin, Christian Finn to come help her get the cub out of the tree and remove whatever was stuck on its head.

Berry also called Pulaski County Animal Control, who in turn contacted the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries which dispatched two wildlife biologists – Betsy Stinson and Bill Bassinger.

“Bassinger tranquilized the cub, while Mike, Christian and I held a blanket for it to fall into,” said Berry.

It turned out the object stuck on the cub’s head was a hard plastic jar. “The cub couldn’t eat or drink and the jar was wedged on too tight to pull off,” Berry said.

9 4 bear 1They had no idea how long the jar had been stuck on the cub’s head, or how much longer it could have survived without being able to eat or drink.

Once out of the tree, Stinson held the cub’s head so Bassinger could cut the jar off.

After the tranquilizer’s effect wore off, the little cub woke up and ran off into the woods to find its momma, Berry said.

“We would like to thank Stinson and Bassinger for their help,” said Berry.

Wednesday evening, Berry said she spotted the momma bear and four cubs in her field again.

“The cub had found its mother and all seemed well,” she said.

Patriot Staff Report

Photos courtesy of Sherry Berry

(From left) Christian Finn, Sherry Berry and Mike Berry with the tranquilized bear cub.