Rescued bear cub headed for ‘foster den’

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A bear cub that was rescued from the side of a West Virginia highway will soon be headed to a "foster den," state wildlife officials said.

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Chris Ryan, a bear biologist with the Division of Natural Resources, said the cub would be placed in a "foster den" later this week. Though it's not the ideal situation for a young cub, wildlife workers often find bears make wonderful foster mothers and treat them as their own.

Although he said the woman who rescued the cub probably thought she was doing the right thing, she made the wrong decision. He said the cub was likely close to his den.

"The main thing to do when you see a cub alone like that is to leave it alone," Ryan said. "The mother has probably gone over the hillside or something, but 99 percent of the time she's going to come back for her cub."

http://www.dailymail.com/News/statenews/201303110205

This woman almost certainly did not 'rescue' the cub. What she did was illegal in the state of West Virginia:

Leave Young Wildlife Alone

As a final caution, state laws prohibit the possession of wildlife without a permit. Under any circumstances, when you pick up a young animal in the wild you have taken it into your possession. The fines for illegal possession of a fawn deer, black bear cub, baby raccoon, squirrel or any other species taken or possessed during the closed season range from $20 up to a maximum of $1,000 and/or up to 100 days in jail.

http://www.wv.gov/news/Pages/YoungWildlife.aspx