Two bear cubs were rescued by a Virginia trooper after their mother was killed by a car and now are safe at the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro.
The story would have had a different ending if it were not for trooper DH Cepelnik, who came across the stranded pair of black bear cubs, Fox News reported.
Bear cubs stay with their mother for more than a year, during which time they receive food and security and also learn essential survival skills, according to Bear with Us Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Centre for Bears.
Without their mother to care for them, the two siblings rescued by Cepelnik would have likely perished, but his compassion and quick thinking gave them a second chance.
Wildlife Center staff noted that both bear cubs were “thin, dehydrated, and mildly anemic” upon their arrival Friday.
It was already after midnight once admitted into the center and fully assessed, but wildlife rehabilitators immediately set about bottle-feeding the cubs.
According to Wildlife Center officials, the two cubs are now living together, but being kept in separate crates in the same room.
Over time, the cubs will be introduced to each other again during feedings and supervised play time.
The Wildlife Center noted that this was the time of year when sows and cubs emerge from their dens and drivers are urged to be alert and careful when driving in areas where bears might be living.
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