This Man Saw A Baby Bear Near Death And Risked His Life To Give It A Second Chance
Not many people would risk their life to save a sick baby bear. However, when Corey Hancock came across a cub on the brink of death, there was no way he could leave the animal to die
Hancock, 41, is an accomplished climber from Oregon and he was very much aware of the peril that could come to pass for him while sparing the child bear. Numerous mom bears will allow their whelps to sit unbothered while searching for sustenance, however plainly this little person had been all alone for quite a while. He was thin, barely breathing, and lying level on his back in the pouring precipitation. Without human mediation, he will undoubtedly kick the bucket
Hancock took a picture of the struggling baby bear, then watched the cub from a distance. As time passed, it was clear that the mother was nowhere in sight. Finally, he sprang into action. He snatched the cub, wrapped it in a flannel shirt, and began the mile-and-a-half run back to his car
Hancock knew that if the mother was nearby, she was likely to attack. Nevertheless, he held the bear close and kept running, risking his own life to save the tiny, sick animal
A friend suggested that Hanncock take the baby bear to the Turtle Ridge Wildlife Center, an Oregon-based rescue that specializes in caring for injured and orphaned wildlife. On the way, he had to pull over and give the bear mouth-to-mouth resuscitation multiple times. Unsure if the bear would make it, he decided to name him Elkhorn
But Elkhorn DID make it! He was emaciated, dehydrated, and near starvation, but he was alive. For the next hour, Hancock and Turtle Ridge staff massaged and warmed the freezing cold bear and pumped him full of electrolytes
Then it was time for Hancock to kiss Elkhorn goodbye. He left him in capable hands and rescuers assured him that the baby bear would have died without his intervention
Today, Elkhorn is healthy, but his future is uncertain. It's unlikely that he can be released to the wild, but Hancock hopes he'll get an invitation to a wildlife sanctuary where he can live a full and happy life. If not, he could wind up in a zoo
