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\n Veterinarians with the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center, near Winchester, Virginia, care for a bear cub that had been trapped in a wire fence, rescued by passersby and dropped off at the center.(Courtesy Blue Ridge Wildlife Center)<\/p>\n
The Blue Ridge Wildlife Center recently received a rescued bear cub, and is using the instance as a chance to remind folks how to care for wildlife.<\/p>\n
\n Veterinarians with the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center, near Winchester, Virginia, care for a bear cub that had been trapped in a wire fence, rescued by passersby and dropped off at the center.(Courtesy Blue Ridge Wildlife Center)<\/p>\n
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\n Veterinarians with the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center, near Winchester, Virginia, care for a bear cub that had been trapped in a wire fence, rescued by passersby and dropped off at the center.(Courtesy Blue Ridge Wildlife Center)<\/p>\n
Around this time of year, the staff at the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center<\/a> can get as many as 10,000 calls a month.<\/p>\n Last week, the center got a special delivery \u2014 a bear cub that had been caught in a wire fence and had clearly struggled for some time to get free. She was found by people passing by, who, according to Dr. Jen Riley, the center\u2019s hospital director, freed her and brought her to the center\u2019s doorstep.<\/p>\n Bears are common in the region, Riley said, and this time of year, \u201cThese guys are coming out of their winter dens and starting to walk around with mom.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a baby that was trying to follow its mother, presumably, and is now separated from mom. It\u2019s extremely stressed and struggling as hard as it can to get out of this fence,\u201d she told WTOP.<\/p>\n So by the time the people who found it spotted the cub, it was in a fragile state and not very reactive.<\/p>\n \u201cWe would not have recommended that the general public go out and try to rescue one of these animals. It can be very dangerous,\u201d Riley said.<\/p>\n Even less potentially dangerous animals, such as birds or fawns<\/a>, should often be left where they are, Riley said.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople call about concerns they have, they may not know the normal behavior of the animal, and they may intervene too soon,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n People often have an impulse to help wild animals, and while that\u2019s well-intentioned, Riley said, \u201cIf we take that animal inside, if we start feeding it, which we also never recommend, we may now have ruined the chances for that animal to go back to its parents.\u201d<\/p>\n And in wildlife rehabilitation, getting the animal back into its natural setting is always the goal.<\/p>\n Even things like the sounds and sights that rescued animals are exposed to while getting veterinary care are carefully controlled. Vets and staff don\u2019t talk in the presence of animals, and they often use camouflage when administering care.<\/p>\n Black bears are a special case, Riley said, given how they are regulated in Virginia. Rehabilitation can be very complex.<\/p>\n \u201cBlack bears in Virginia should all go directly to the Wildlife Center of Virginia through the Department of Wildlife Resources,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n