Coming across a big, dark shape tucked under a tree near a fence is not exactly what most people expect while soaking up a quiet moment outside. But that is exactly what one Good Samaritan ran into while passing through Evergreen.
At first he wrote it off as just some random object in the brush. Then he caught a tiny flicker of movement. That little hint drew him closer, and that is when he realized the shape was alive, and caught up in the fencing.
And there, right in front of him, was a stranded baby animal, struggling and clearly in need of help.
Help Arrives For The Little Bear
Keeping a careful distance, the man looked more closely and saw a small bear cub caught in the fence wires.
The sight hit him hard. He wanted nothing more than to help, but doing so safely was beyond him. He quickly contacted Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) for assistance.
As soon as the report came in, officers Jake Sonberg, Scott Murdoch, Ian Petkash, and K9 officer Samson headed to the area in Evergreen. The call was unusual for them, yet not entirely surprising.
“Bear cubs can get into sticky situations,” CPW spokesperson Kara Van Hoose told The Dodo. “We normally see them stuck in dumpsters or ropes, not wire fencing, but they are very curious, so they can get into anything.”
Before starting the rescue, the team noticed another bear nearby. Perched in a tree close to the cub was a larger bear, the cub’s mother, watching anxiously from above.
For the safety of everyone involved, including the little one, the officers sedated the mother. With her secure, they shifted their focus to freeing the trapped cub.
“The rescue [had] to happen fast,” CPW explained in a tweet.
They moved fast, cutting through the wires that held him. Once he was released, they placed him in a safe place nearby to wait for his mother to wake.
A Moment That Meant Everything
The rescuers were relieved to find the cub unharmed, but the moment that mattered most was the one still ahead.
As soon as the mother bear regained consciousness, only seconds passed before she ran straight to her cub. Their reunion brought a rush of relief and quiet joy to everyone watching.
The tender scene stayed with the officers, a reminder of why they do the work they do.
“Wildlife management can be hard,” Van Hoose said. “Days like this one make it worth it.”
Love won out in the end. The cub was safe, his mother w