Baby Bear Rescue

Black bears can be found across the United States. Their habitat is usually in forests, where they can find food and shelter. They enjoy snacking on tasty berries, fruits, plants, and insects. And they love climbing trees. (They even sleep in trees during the summer!)

Bears don’t like to go near people. But people have built towns near where black bears live. So sometimes you might see a bear by a road. It’s rare for a bear to pace in the middle of a street though. It’s even more rare to see a black bear with five cubs! 

Most black bears have only one or two cubs. Raising baby bears is a lot of work. The mother bear has to feed them, clean them, and keep them safe. If a mother bear has too many cubs, she might not be able to care for all of them.  

Black bears live across the United States. Their habitat is usually in forests. That’s where they can find food and shelter. Black bears like eating tasty berries, fruits, plants, and insects. And they love climbing trees. They even sleep in trees during the summer!

Bears don’t like to go near people. But people have built towns near where black bears live. So sometimes you might see a bear by a road. It’s rare for a bear to pace in the middle of a street though. Even more rare? Seeing a black bear with five cubs! 

Most black bears have only one or two cubs. Caring for baby bears is a lot of work. The mother bear has to feed them, clean them, and keep them safe. If a mother bear has too many cubs, she might not be able to care for all of them.  

Black bears live across the United States. Their habitat is usually in forests. Sometimes people see bears near roads. But bears don’t usually walk back and forth on roads. And mother bears don’t usually have five cubs! 

Most mother bears have only one or two cubs. Caring for cubs is a lot of work. If a mama bear has too many cubs, she might not be able to care for them all.

Back at the scene, Chief Bailey watched the bears. Two of the cubs were tiny. They were too tired to walk across the street. Chief Bailey wanted to help. But he knew that rescuing a baby bear isn’t easy. Bears can be aggressive.

Back at the scene, Chief Bailey watched the bears carefully. Three of the cubs stayed with their mom. They followed her from one side of the road to the other. But two of the cubs were not pacing. They would walk a few steps and then sit down. These cubs were tiny—about half the size of their siblings. 

Chief Bailey guessed what was happening: Five cubs had been too many for the mother bear to care for. She had not been able to feed all of them. The smallest cubs were now too hungry and exhausted to stay with their mom. 

“The two cubs were too weak,” he says. “The mom didn’t want to leave them!”

Chief Bailey called a bear expert, who suggested rescuing the weakest cub right away. They hoped the other cub would get stronger over time—and the mother would stay out of the street. 

Rescuing a black bear, even a baby, isn’t easy though. Bears are wild animals and can be dangerous . . . especially mama bears! 

“You should never approach a mother bear with her cubs,” Chief Bailey says. “In a typical situation, the mom would be aggressive.”  

She could attack!

Back at the scene, Chief Bailey watched the bears. Three of the cubs stayed with their mom. They followed her from one side of the road to the other. But two of the cubs were not pacing. They would walk a few steps. Then they would sit. These cubs were tiny. They were about half the size of their siblings. 

Chief Bailey guessed what was happening: Five cubs had been too many for the mother bear to care for. She had not been able to feed all of them. The smallest cubs were now too hungry and exhausted to stay with their mom. 

“The two cubs were too weak,” he says. “The mom didn’t want to leave them!”

Chief Bailey called a bear expert. The expert said to save the weakest cub right away. They hoped the other cub would get stronger over time. And they hoped the mother would stay out of the street.  

Rescuing a black bear, even a baby, isn’t easy though. Bears are wild animals. They can be dangerous . . . especially mama bears! 

“You should never approach a mother bear with her cubs,” Chief Bailey says. “In a typical situation, the mom would be aggressive.”  

She could attack!

Chief Bailey had worked with bears. He could tell the mom was not dangerous. He picked up one cub. 

“It was a little puff ball,” he says.

Chief Bailey brought the cub to the Kilham Bear Center. Experts there care for sick and injured bears. They’ve helped hundreds of bears go back to the wild. 

A few days later, Chief Bailey got another call. The mother bear was back on the road holding up traffic. She was waiting for the weakest cub to follow her. Chief Bailey picked up this cub too. Then he brought it to the Kilham Bear Center.

Workers there raced to save the cubs. They gave the cubs drinks and a special diet. The cubs ate apples and dog food!

Slowly, the cubs gained weight and got better. Before long, the bears needed more space. They were moved to a large outdoor area. They learned to climb trees and find food.

After about a year, it was time for the cubs to return home to the woods. It never could have happened without a kind police officer and the caring workers at the Kilham Bear Center. 

Luckily, Chief Bailey had experience with bears. He could tell this mom did not seem dangerous. 

Slowly, Chief Bailey approached the bears. He carefully picked up the tiniest cub and wrapped it in a blanket.

“It was like picking up a teddy bear,” he explains. “It was a little puff ball!” 

The mama bear sat and watched. 

“I believe that she wanted help and knew it would be good for her cubs,” he says.  

Chief Bailey’s team took the cub to the Kilham Bear Center. This is a special place where experts care for sick and injured bears. 

A few days later, another call came to the police station. The mother bear was back on the road holding up traffic!

When Chief Bailey arrived, he saw the same scene all over again. The mom was waiting for the weakest cub to come with her. She wouldn’t leave her baby. 

“I think she had been staying so close to the road because she was looking for help,” he says. “She was being a good mom.” 

Chief Bailey scooped up this cub too. He rushed it to the Kilham Bear Center. Would the cubs survive?

Luckily, Chief Bailey had experience with bears. He could tell this mom did not seem dangerous. 

Slowly, Chief Bailey walked up to the bears. He carefully picked up the tiniest cub and wrapped it in a blanket.

“It was like picking up a teddy bear,” he explains. “It was a little puff ball!” 

The mama bear sat and watched. 

“I believe that she wanted help and knew it would be good for her cubs,” he says.  

Chief Bailey’s team took the cub to the Kilham Bear Center. That’s a special place. Experts there care for sick and injured bears. 

A few days passed. Then another call came to the police station. The mother bear was back on the road holding up traffic! Chief Bailey came back. He saw the same scene all over again. The mom was waiting for the weakest cub to come with her. She wouldn’t leave her baby. 

“I think she had been staying so close to the road because she was looking for help,” he says. “She was being a good mom.” 

Chief Bailey picked up this cub too. He brought it to the Kilham Bear Center. Would the cubs live?

Slowly, the cubs began to recover. As the weeks passed, they gained weight. Soon they were ready to make friends! Kilham moved the cubs into a bear barn with other baby bears. 

Before long, the tiny bears were not so tiny. They needed more space! So the team took the bears to a large forest enclosure at the bear center. It has trees, ponds, and plenty of plants and fruits that bears love to eat. As the bears grew bigger, they learned to climb trees and gather their own food.

About a year after they were rescued, the tiny cubs had grown into strong, healthy black bears. It was time for them to return home to the woods, where they belonged.

On the day of their release, the bears ran out, wild and free. It never could have happened without a kind police officer and the caring workers at the Kilham Bear Center. 

“Without our help, the cubs would have died,” Chief Bailey says. “It’s always a good feeling when you can help.” 

Slowly, the cubs began to get better. Weeks passed. The cubs gained weight. Soon they were ready to make friends! Kilham moved the cubs into a bear barn with other baby bears. 

Before long, the tiny bears were not so tiny. They needed more space! So the team moved the bears to a large forest enclosure at the bear center. It has trees and ponds. It also has plenty of plants and fruits that bears love to eat. The bears grew bigger. They learned to climb trees and find their own food.

About a year passed. The two tiny cubs had grown into strong, healthy black bears. It was time for them to return home to the woods. That’s where they belonged.

On the day of their release, the bears ran out, wild and free. It never could have happened without a kind police officer and the caring workers at the Kilham Bear Center. 

“Without our help, the cubs would have died,” Chief Bailey says. “It’s always a good feeling when you can help.”