Here's what happened to animals rescued in Dixie, Lava, Antelope, Fawn fires in 2021

Three bear cubs, a bobcat and a pig rescued from Northern California fires in 2021 went safely home or will soon be released.

In October, the Redding Record Searchlight published stories about animals who were victims of the state's raging wildfires, including the 1,500-square-mile Dixie Fire.

They and other animals were rescued by wildlife experts and caring neighbors. Injured wildlife received medical attention, then bunked at animal refuges where volunteers fed them and helped them keep their specialized skills and wild ways.

As 2021 wrapped up, we circled back with people who care for five of the animals we featured to see how they were doing.

To read more on this story, click here: Here's what happened to animals rescued in Dixie, Lava, Antelope, Fawn fires in 2021

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Bear Cub Seen Peeping Through Windows At Canadian Border Was Apprehended For Not Having Documentation

Vancouver,  BC -This little cutie was seen peeping through the windows of a border crossing office at the U.S.-Canada border in northern British Columbia.

The Canada Border Service Agency jokes on Facebook that, "A traveller sought entry for essential reasons, but had no travel documents."

Of course, the officers on site apprehended the cub immediately.

"After a forceful attempt on its part to cross the border, our officers moved quickly to apprehend and transfer it to the Smithers' Northern Lights Wildlife Society for the winter," the agency said.

The baby bear was reportedly looking for food. A nearby animal rescue center tells Canadian news source CTV News that they have been tracking the bear for a month, hoping to help it survive the winter.

The little explorer lost her mom, earning her the name Annie after "Little Orphan Annie."

Luckily, the shelter was able to bring little Annie to Northern Lights Wildlife Society. They plan to help her through the winter and release her back to the wild in the summer.

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Florida Black Bear Cub Poaching Incident is a Reminder of the Need to Coexist with Wildlife

Last month, so many Floridians were shocked when the decaying body of a yearling bear cub, fondly nicknamed Bailey by members of the sprawling community that he sometimes visited, was discovered. This was an unlawful killing on its face, one that violated Florida regulations, but what was even more shocking was the manner in which Bailey had died: he had been killed with bird shot and left to bleed to a slow, agonizing death.

Bailey’s shooter, it turns out, was an experienced hunter who should have known that killing Bailey was illegal. At the very least he should have notified authorities right away after shooting the animal, which he didn’t. Among other things, his act made him a poacher.

To read more on this story, click here: Florida Black Bear Cub Poaching Incident is a Reminder of the Need to Coexist with Wildlife

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A Bear Was Shot and Killed Thursday Morning After a Woman in Frederick, Maryland Was Attacked

Frederick, Maryland - A bear was shot and killed Thursday morning after a woman in Frederick, Maryland was attacked the evening before, the Department of Natural Resources confirmed.

According to officials, around 9:30 p.m. 63-year-old Karen Osborne was walking to her son-in-law's house next door to check on their dog that was barking when she was attacked by the bear on Irongate Lane, in between Baltimore National Pike and Shookstown Road. It appears the woman got in between the bear her cubs. The bear weighed 200 pounds.

"It was not a bear that was sort of laying in wait for the homeowner. The best we can tell is she went down a dark driveway with a dog. There was another dog in the driveway off leash and the sow had her cubs there and she reacted to what she believed was a threat."

Police reported, Osborne suffered a broken arm, cuts to her head, and puncture wounds to both arms.

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A Conservation Officer in Canada Has Been Put on Suspension for Heroically Saving the Lives of Two Helpless Animals His Higher-Ups Wanted Killed

A conservation officer in Canada has been put on suspension — not for violating his duty to protect wildlife, but rather for heroically saving the lives of two helpless animals his higher-ups wanted killed.

Following reports of a female black bear who had broken into a home in rural British Columbia in the company of her two young cubs, Officer Bryce Casavant and local firefighters were dispatched to the scene. Unfortunately, the responders decided to put the mother bear down, though when it came to dealing with her now-orphaned offspring, the conservation officer took a more sympathetic approach.

Defying orders to euthanize the 8-week-old bear cubs, Casavant instead collected the frightened youngsters and had them sent to local animal hospital, the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre. That simple show of kindness has now put his job in jeopardy, reports Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Meanwhile, conservation services released a statement saying that Casavant's actions are now under investigation, but supporters say the officer should be lauded, not suspended. A petition on Care.org has garnered more than 150,000 signatures calling for Casavant to be reinstated.

Given the bears' age, staff at North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre are optimistic the cubs will eventually be released back into the wild — all thanks to the sympathy shown by Casavant, who defends his actions on their behalf, telling the Vancouver Mirror:
"I think it is important for the community to know that I am here to do the right thing."

UPDATE: Officer Casavant was originally suspended without pay, but in light of the overwhelming public response to his case, he has since been placed back on they payroll, CVT News reports. He is currently still under suspension.



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You Must Watch This Video of Bei Bei Getting Stuck on a Tree Branch

All of D.C. just screeched in delight.

If you're not one of those screechers (yet), here's why everyone around you is continually hitting the "replay" button right now: The National Zoo just released video of its giant panda cub going outside, climbing partway up a tree and... wait for it... getting his back legs adorably stuck on a branch.

Go ahead. Watch. Hit replay a few dozen times.

We'll wait.

To read more on this story, click here: You Must Watch This Video of Bei Bei Getting Stuck on a Tree Branch

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Chinese Man Finds What He Thinks is a Puppy in the Road…Only to Find Out Later, It’s a Bear Cub

Mr. Gao, who lives in Ban Dong Wu village in China's Chang'an District, found the tiny black bear on his way home with friends after a night out celebrating his birthday.

He decided to take it home after spotting it was being circled by a large dog. 

After spending several days looking after the bear, which is thought to be less than three months old, he has developed a strong affection for the creature, who he named ‘Xiong Da' (Big Bear). 

“I thought it was a puppy being bullied by a bigger dog, so I stopped an picked it up and put it into my car.

“When I opened the car door and my lights came on, I thought it looked more like a bear than a puppy.” He said.

It wasn’t until Mr. Gao, he realized that the animal that he had found, was  not a dog.

“I was shocked to realize I had picked up a bear, he must have been separated from its mother. I knew it couldn’t look for food so we thought we would look after it for a while.”  he, added.

What really surprised Mr. Gao at was that Xiong Da, was not afraid of his new surroundings at all - and spends his days drinking milk, eating apples and climbing trees in his home.

He even dives into the water feature in his garden for a swim.

 “After bringing it home I have been feeding it milk and apples and even sausages and sweetcorn. As long as it , he will eat it, and he is growing so fast,” said Mr. Gao.

“He likes to hold the milk bottle to drink, and loves to swim. He has a very gentle temperament and will not make any noise unless you make him angry…then it will make a growling sound.” he said.

 Although Mr Gao has developed a bond with Xiong Da after just six days, bears are a protected species in China and keeping one at home is not allowed.

He has plans on keeping the bear for a while before returning it to its natural habitat, but is worried that he may be harmed if someone catches him.

He contacted the authorities in an effort to return the bear to his home in the mountains.

Zheng Ce, an official from the Chang'an District Forestry Department, identified the creature as a black bear cub.

“This is a black bear and is a category 2 protected species, and is about two to three months old.” he said.

Mr. Zheng said that the cub will be taken to Xian Wild Animal Management Centre for medical checkups, and if found to be in good health, officials will care for the cub until it is able to fend for itself before releasing it back into the wild.

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Washington, DC - Meet Mayni and Muniri, The Two Andean Bear Cubs at the National Zoo

On Thursday morning as zoo officials announced the bears’ names, they played in their yard. The zoo said in a Twitter message that they “just heard their first helicopter fly overhead and headed to Mom for comfort.”

After the public voted, the two Andean bear cubs were named, Mayni and Muniri

Mayni is a moniker that means “unique” in the Aymara language. Muniri means “loving” in the Quechua language. The names are meant to reflect the cultural significance of the indigenous peoples of the Andes region, to which the bears are native.

The 19-week-old cubs will go on display to the public, at 10:00 a.m.,  Saturday, Marcg 28th, weather permitting. The brother bears were much celebrated when they were born in November.

Telling the two black balls of fur apart is a bit tough, but zoo officials said the two cubs have distinctive facial markings. Muniri has a slightly longer light brown line in between his eyes; Mayni does not have such a pronounced line.

They definitely have different personalities. Zoo officials have said Mayni is a bit more rambunctious and “seems to need Mom’s attention a bit more than his brother.” His brother, Muniri, is described as playful and “likes to wrestle but is more laid back.”

Zoo officials said that now that the bears have been named, it will help staff members as they teach them certain behaviors like opening their mouth, showing their paws, getting up on a bench and lying down. These learned behaviors are necessary, zoo officials said, to help staff give them vaccinations and care for their health.

The cubs are trained one-on-one, and zoo keepers will call the cubs by their respective names into different enclosures, officials said. Every time a bear does one of its new, learned behaviors, the keepers will use positive reinforcement and call them by name. And they’ll get a treat — either grapes or peanuts, which are their favorites.




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Bears Reunited After Cub Gets Stuck in Dumpster (Video)

The mother bear stood by as her cub explored a trash bin surrounded by a concrete wall Thursday morning in the San Gabriel Valley community east of Los Angeles

This mama bear and her cub created quite a scene in Pasadena on Thursday, starting off in a dumpster in a business area, then giving neighbors in their homes quite a show.

To see the video, click here: Bears Reunited After Cub Gets Stuck in Dumpster

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