Sadly, it wasn’t too much of a surprise to those at North Carolina’s Camden County Sheriff’s Office when they received a call about the discovery of two abandoned baby puppies. But little did they know, there was more to the story than initially met the eye.
The tiny, vulnerable animals had been left in a box on the porch of Camden County resident Cornelius Williams, cosied up in a grey sweatshirt. They were very small, furry and absolutely adorable.
However, when deputies arrived at the scene, it quickly became evident they weren’t looking at puppies at all. These sweet babies were actually a pair of newborn black bears, with miniature claws and eyes that had not yet opened to the world around them.
Speaking with Local 21 News, Williams explained how he had spotted the box on the way back from the grocery store:
The noise was the reason why I was so concerned. It was like a squeaky noise. It was like ‘ying, ying’.
[…] I see this box setting right on my walkway, and it’s close by my car. […] I said, ‘What in the world is this?’
Initially, Camden County Sheriff Kevin Jones believed he was looking at a pair of Tasmanian devils, due to their pointy noses. But then it became clear exactly what he was looking at.
At around just three weeks old and without the ability to crawl, the helpless babies were far too young to be away from the care of their mother. They needed urgent care if they were to stand a chance at survival.
As reported by The Dodo, deputies rushed the cubs – which weighed less than a pound each – to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), where they were evaluated and transferred to the NCWRC’s black bear rehabber.
NCWRC public information officer Jodie Owen told The Dodo:
This person has more than 25 years of experience rehabbing bear cubs, and is only one of the few in the eastern United States, if not the US, who can do this type of rehabilitation.
Thankfully, the youngsters have proven tougher than they look and have battled through their few weeks of rehabilitation, all thanks to the caring humans at NCWRC. However, there is still a tough road ahead to become the majestic, fully grown animals they were destined to be.
Owen told The Dodo:
The cubs are not out of the woods quite yet. Bears this young rely heavily on their mothers’ milk and the key ingredient in that milk, colostrum, and these cubs were removed from their mother during this critical time of their development.
Once they’re believed to be strong enough, it’s hoped the little bears will be released back to their true home in the wild.
Those who come across orphaned wild animals in North Carolina have been advised not to try and feed or care for them. Instead, you should call the Human-Wildlife Interaction hotline, at 866-318-2401 or email hwi@ncwildlife.org, for further information.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.