The incident was first reported on September 30 by a park ranger who notified the Appalachian Bear Rescue care facility of a cub lying on the road, still breathing.
“The rangers clapped their hands and the cub got up, staggered to the side of the road, and climbed about five feet up a tree, settling into a crook,” the rescue facility said in an October 1 Facebook post. A ranger also spotted what was assumed to be the cub’s mother and two siblings in the distance on the opposite side of the road.
By the time it was getting dark the bear had not called for its mother, and a ranger made the decision to tranquilize the animal and take it to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine.
The bear was identified as a roughly 8-month-old female cub weighing 27.6 lbs. X-ray scans revealed the cub did not have any fractures but was bleeding from her nose and vets worked to prevent swelling on her brain.
The bear was then taken to the Appalachian Bear Rescue facility where she was named Myrtle. Since then, she has been recovering.
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for bears to be hit by cars along national park roads. Up to September 14 this year, at least six bears had been hit by cars in Yosemite National Park alone, according to the National Park Service (NPS).
On Wednesday this week, Colorado Parks and Wildlife issued a news release stating that a roughly 220lb brown bear had to be tranquilized and relocated after it climbed a tree and stayed there all through the night after it was suspected of being hit by a car. Officers could not find any obvious signs of injury.
Regarding Myrtle, Appalachian Bear Rescue posted an update to Facebook on October 3 stating that Myrtle was doing well and that she seemed to be eating more. “If her progress continues, she’ll soon be on the same chubbifying diet as our other 13 bears,” the update read.
Dana Dodd, executive director at Appalachian Bear Rescue, told Newsweek the incident was a matter of humans venturing into bear territory, not the other way around.
“Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the country and has a large black bear population,” Dodd said. “That means that lots of people and lots of bears are in close proximity. Accidents happen.
“There is more and more urban growth in proximity to our wilderness areas. When bears enter human areas, they are generally looking for food. Humans intentionally and accidentally provide food opportunities for bears. Human trash is a big problem in our area and in many other areas. Trash must be secured when you live in bear territory. Many of the cubs we have this year and many in past years were orphaned due to human trash.
“Everyone should obey traffic regulations. That said, bears and other wildlife often dart out into the road directly in front of an oncoming vehicle. In that case, it can be impossible to stop in time.”
