It is not every day that you stumble upon a large black shape under a tree near a fence while enjoying nature. But that is exactly what happened to a Good Samaritan passing through Evergreen, Colorado.
At first, he assumed it was just an object, but then he noticed it shifting slightly. As he drew closer, he realized it was alive and tangled in fencing.
To his shock, a helpless baby animal was in desperate need of help.
Calling For Professional Help
When the man looked closer, keeping a safe distance, he saw it was a tiny bear cub trapped in the wires of a fence.
The sight left him heartbroken. He wanted to help but had no idea how to do it safely. Quickly, he called Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) for assistance.
As soon as they received the call, officers Jake Sonberg, Scott Murdoch, Ian Petkash, and K9 officer Samson rushed to the location in Evergreen. For them, this situation was unusual but not entirely unexpected.
“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 beginning the rescue, the officers noticed another bear nearby. In a tree close to the cub sat a larger bear, his mother, anxiously keeping watch.
To ensure everyone’s safety, including the cub’s, the team sedated the mother. Once she was secure, they quickly turned their attention to the trapped little one.
“The rescue [had] to happen fast,” CPW explained in a tweet.
The officers worked swiftly, cutting away the wires holding the cub. Soon, he was free and placed in a safe spot nearby to wait for his mom to wake up.
A Reunion Worth Waiting For
The rescuers were already relieved to see the cub unharmed, but the moment everyone awaited was the reunion between mother and child.
When the mother bear regained consciousness, it took only a few moments for her to rush to her baby. The two embraced, filling the air with a sense of relief and joy.
The scene melted the rescuers’ hearts, reminding them of why they love their work.
“Wildlife management can be hard,” Van Hoose said. “Days like this one make it worth it.”
In the end, love triumphed once again. The cub was free, the mother was reassured, and the rescuers carried with them a memory that would stay forever.