ABR has another Cub of the Year! On the night of September 30, Greg Grieco, wildlife ranger in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and former curator for ABR, called to report that a cub had been hit by a car in the park. Two rangers had arrived on the scene and found the cub was still breathing. When they clapped their the cub staggered to the side of the road and climbed a short distance up a tree. They saw what they assumed was the mother bear and two siblings, at a distance, across the road.

By now it was getting dark, and Ranger Greg decided to dart the cub in order to rescue it. He took it to the UT College of Veterinary Medicine, where he was met by ABR staff and Dr. Julie Sheldon and her team.

Her exam showed she is a female, about 8 months old, like our other cubs, and she weighs 27.6 pounds. X-rays showed no fractures, but she had blood in the back of her throat and was bleeding from her nose. She was given a hypertonic saline solution to draw blood out of her brain and prevent swelling. The vets released the cub to the care of ABR, with a prescription for pain meds. Following the year’s Scottish theme, the cub has been named Myrtle.

ABR Bear #362 – Myrtle Bear.

We are hoping that Myrtle makes a good recovery at ABR!