Residents near Asheville, North Carolina saw a little bear wandering around with a tacky puff container attached to its head. A little bear was rescued and taken back to the wilderness. Wildlife biologists praised the community for uniting and assisting rescue efforts, while others said she was rescued through drone footage.

Wildlife biologists at the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) said that after receiving reports that she was walking around with a plastic container on Monday night, they spent two days trying to find the bear.

Regional biologist Justin McVey said the committee used public outreach on the popular social media app NextDoor to help them find the cubs.

McVeigh said in a Facebook statement: “Due to calling our biologists directly and responding to our agency’s NextDoor post, the residents of Asheville took us directly to the cubs.” “We were able to treat the bears safely. Under anaesthesia and anesthesia, the water bottle was removed from her head and a health check was performed. She was healthy, without injuries or tears, and immediately relocated to a remote area in western North Carolina."

McVeigh said that the cub probably got the plastic container stuck on her head when she rummaged through the trash can. He said she was "energetic and ready," and they said it was a good sign.

He said that although their employees have been trained in such situations, the help of the public enables them to respond quickly.

However, in the comments of the NCWRC official statement, many people mentioned that Help Asheville Bears (HAB) is a privately funded non-profit organization dedicated to protecting bears from illegal poaching and assisting them by notifying them of their location. Rescue. Tips from the drone operator.

In a statement from HAB, they claimed that NCWRC's official post contained "inaccurate and misleading statements." They also stated that Stephan Pruitt and HAB who found the bear "deliberately" and "blatantly left out."

Their statement also said that in the end, it was Pruitt's drone footage that brought HAB founder Jody Williams to the cub, who also had a cheesy puff container attached to his head.

A HAB statement read: “Jodi texted other members that he found the bear on the ground thanks to the drone, and that he had contacted wildlife.” “So, it’s not for NCWRC. The call/response to the Nextdoor post directly led to the cub! It was the heroic drone operator and HAB founder, and the sightings reported to HAB!!!"

They also stated in their statement that they have a continuing history with NCWRC and that they plan to file civil and criminal prosecutions against specific individuals in NCWRC who they say are harassing and harassing them and their causes. They also stated that they forced officials to investigate "corruption within the NCWRC."

In Florida, a 250-pound bear was rescued after being stuck on its head by a plastic container.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) stated that her head was trapped in the container for 28 days. The bear biologist, bear contractor and law enforcement agencies jointly monitor the area and set up traps, hoping to catch her for rescue.

FWC said in a statement: “Finally, the bear was spotted by a resident’s security camera, still wearing a container on his head.” “The staff set up new traps and began night patrols nearby. They finally reached midnight. I found this 250-pound she-bear earlier."

They were able to hit the bear and remove the container they found to be part of the automatic pet feeder. They say the hole in the feeder allows the bears to still have access to food and water for 28 days.

After a day and a half of monitoring, the staff put her back into the field.

NCWRC recommends that if you encounter orphans or injured bears, please call your local wildlife office and note the location of the sighting. Approaching the bear may cause an attack.

Newsweek contacted NCWRC and HAB for comments.

You have 4 free articles this month

Enjoy Newsweek’s free newsletter with 5 million readers