Man Saves Life Of Baby Bear With Hairless Face And Paws After Group Finds It

Feb 24, 2019 by apost team

A tiny bear cub was found in a ditch near Black Mountain in Kentucky. The little bear was weak and struggling for its life.

He was spotted on Valentine's Day by a group of hikers. They quickly alerted an employee of the Kentucky Dept. of Transportation, who then called the Appalachian Bear Rescue Team.

They stayed there with the cub until help arrived, afraid to leave the bear cub alone. The little bear had lost fur over his face and paws. He seemed to be barely making it and was covered in ticks from head to toe.

When the cub was finally rescued, he was taken to the University of Veterinary Medicine in Kentucky. Together with the Appalachian Bear Rescue team, they worked to figure asses the cub's health.

If left alone, the cub would have surely died. He was severely underweight and dehydrated.

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It was odd, though, as the cub was too young to be away from his mother. At an age of just 13 months, the should have been still in the den with his mother.

Authorities could not determine what had happened to his mother or why they were separated. But one thing was sure; he was safe and warm now. He weighed only 12 pounds, and they still aren't sure if he'll make it. He's now being closely monitored and fed a diet of bear milk formula.

Dodd, an authority at the Appalachian Bear Rescue, commented that you have to be careful when feeding a bear food after a period of starvation. If they eat too much, it could overwhelm their system and cause shock.

The tiny bear cub was ravenous and would surely eat a lot if allowed, but because of the survival mechanism in their body, they have to take it slow. Too many carbs suddenly could shock the metabolism and lead to death.

The team has begun fundraising for the cub, who they named Hartley. Support from the community has been pouring in, as people are heartbroken for this little bears story. Many online supporters are showing their love and wishing for Hartley to get well soon.

Although he is recovering, he's not out of the woods yet. His present state requires more attention and time to recover.

Help spread Hartley's story so that this struggling bear cub can receive all the support that he can get and pull through!