ROANOKE, Va. – Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke is helping rescue a cute baby black bear.
The wildlife center took in Virginia’s very first baby American black bear of 2021 on Friday after it was found in Floyd County.
Officials first observed the baby bear eating goat feed. After watching it for hours, they noticed the mother never returned. With cooler nighttime temperatures, the Department of Wildlife Resources had no choice but to bring the cub to the wildlife center so it wouldn’t freeze.
The bear cub, who doesn’t have a name yet, weighs just 2.8 pounds. Wildlife officials said it’s very rare for a baby bear of this size to be out of the den this early.
On Saturday, the cub will be transferred to the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro.