Not everyone has the fortune of gaining the trust of a wild bear like this man did. However, this mother bear not only placed her trust in him but also demonstrated it by introducing him to her initial set of cubs.
Residing in Asheville, North Carolina, Patrick Conley shares his home with indigenous black bears. Throughout the years, a specific bear named Simone, wearing a radio collar, has become a regular visitor to Mr. Conley. He considers the bear his friend.
Simone, the bear, is at ease with Mr. Conley and even ventures onto his porch to engage in bear-like greetings. Mr. Conley treasures their friendship and feels privileged to have such close encounters with the bear over an extended period.
On a particular day, Simone appeared on Mr. Conley’s porch, but this time, she was not alone. Accompanying the magnificent black bear were her first litter of cubs—two incredibly adorable, tiny baby bears following closely behind.
Fortunate for us, Mr. Conley happened to be at home and captured the heartwarming scene on video. Initially, the mother bear cautiously inspects the porch and then guides her two cubs up onto the platform. It’s simply a proud bear mother showcasing her offspring to her dear friend. Mr. Conley added the following caption to his video:
“These cubs are the most adorable creatures to have ever roamed these woods, although I might be a bit partial.”
Encounters with black bears are not uncommon in Ashville. Nonetheless, not everyone is privileged to form a bond with a bear they consider a friend. In 2014, a collaborative research project initiated between North Carolina State University and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission aimed to enhance our understanding of the local bear population.
From April 2014 to August 2018, a total of 165 distinct bears were captured, with an additional 80 bears being recaptured during the four-year period, resulting in a cumulative count of 245 bear captures on privately owned land. The researchers successfully monitored their movements, identified den locations, and obtained various measurements of the bears.
The study revealed that bears established themselves quite comfortably throughout the city, occupying nearly 1 million locations over the course of four years. Remarkably, they were able to find suitable dens within the city limits, without needing to venture outside. The researchers discovered a total of 83 dens and observed that bears typically start reproducing between the ages of 3 and 4.
The most substantial bear apprehended was an 11-year-old male weighing 572 pounds. This capture took place on April 25, 2014, in East Asheville, and the bear was not fitted with a collar. On April 14, 2015, researchers captured an 8-year-old male bear weighing 526 pounds in southwest Asheville, and this bear was collared. The yearlings, ranging from 1 to 1 ½ years old, displayed considerable size, weighing between 186 and 239 pounds. The largest female yearling bears weighed between 107 and 142 pounds. These bears all surpassed the size of bears inhabiting remote areas far from human civilization.
Please feel free to share these adorable bear cubs with your family and friends.
Rewritten Source: https://dogdispatch.com/after-sharing-years-of-friendship-this-momma-bear-introduces-man-to-her-first-cubs/