A five-month-old American black bear was rescued from a river in the Smoky Mountains after she struggled to survive for several days.
The 14lb bear was picked up by river guide Danny Allen, of High Mountain Expeditions, on the side of the Nolichucky River near Erwin, Tennessee, on Thursday.
After the bear – which has been named Noli Bear, after the river she was rescued from – was seen four days in a row, she climbed into Allen’s raft when he pulled to the river’s edge.
Noli Bear, a 14lb, five-month-old American black bear was rescued from the edge of the Nolichucky River near Erwin, Tennessee, on Thursday
Noli bear was picked up by river guide Danny Allen (pictured), of High Mountain Expeditions, on the side of the Nolichucky River near Erwin, Tennessee, on Thursday
River guides said Noli Bear had been struggling on the side of the river for several days, and with each day she became more comfortable with human interaction. On Thursday she climbed into Allen’s raft
After Noli bear – named after the river she was rescued from – was seen four days in a row, she climbed into Allen’s raft when he pulled to the river’s edge
Matt Moses, who owns USA Raft, provided pictures of the dramatic rescue to Daily Mail Online and has described how Noli Bear was saved.
‘We had seen this bear over the last four days, and there was no sight of a mama bear,’ Moses told the Knoxville News Sentinel.
‘She was obviously malnourished and appeared to be in distress,’ he added. ‘My guides kept coming back to me and saying they had no idea what to do. We didn’t want to see this bear die on the side of the river.’
Each day Noli Bear became more comfortable with human contact, Moses said adding that it’s the first time he’s heard of a bear getting into a raft.
‘It would walk toward us at first. Then it swam out toward one of our rafts. Thursday, a guy from another rafting company (Allen) pulled over and she got right in,’ he told the News Sentinel.
Noli Bear was taken by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to the Appalachian Bear Rescue in Townsend, which has returned orphaned, injured or medically in-need bears to the wild since 1996.
Allen took Noli Bear to Matt Moses, who owns USA Raft Company and together they contacted Tennessee Wildlife Resources
Moses said Noli Bear (pictured here with Allen) was obviously malnourished and appeared to be in distress
Noli Bear was taken by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to the Appalachian Bear Rescue in Townsend. Staff took her to University of Tennessee Veterinary School to be treated for dehydration
Dana Dodd, board president of the Appalachian Bear Rescue, said Noli Bear is recovering and is walking
Dana Dodd, board president of the Appalachian Bear Rescue, said Noli Bear is recovering, and is ‘up, walking and feeding’.
‘She likes grapes and applesauce. Those things are great for her because they’re filled with water,’ she added.
Dodd said the bear was dehydrated and given fluids by the University of Tennessee Veterinary School after she was dropped off at the Appalachian Bear Rescue.
In about a week, after she is climbing, hearing and seeing well, Noli Bear might be put into an area that houses four other cubs.
‘She will have to stay in the acclimatization area until we can’t see any more of her neurological conditions, like dehydration and possibly heat stroke,’ she said.
In about a week, after she is climbing, hearing and seeing well, Noli Bear might be put into an area that houses four other cubs
‘She will have to stay in the acclimatization area until we can’t see any more of her neurological conditions,’ said Dodd. ‘Like dehydration and possibly heat stroke’
Noli Bear will likely stay at Appalachian Bear Rescue until some time between August and the end of the year
Matt Moses, who owns USA Raft Company, said he had never heard of a bear climbing into a river guide’s raft before, as Noli Bear did
Noli Bear has been eating grapes and apple sauce, both of which are filled with water and help combat her dehydration
There was no sign of Noli Bear’s mother when she was rescued. After she is rehabilitated, she will be released into the wild, likely in an area near where she was found
Dana Dodd, board president of the Appalachian Bear Rescue warned the public that it is dangerous to approach animals in the wild, as the river guides had with Noli Bear
Source: dailymail.co.uk
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