A DISTRESSING video has shown the moment bear cubs were snatched from a tree to take a selfie.
An expert described these actions as “traumatic” for the animals and warned people about the potential dangers.
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The incident took place in Buncombe County, North Carolina on April 18.
This footage showed a group of about six people pulling down tree branches, in a fenced-off area, and taking a bear cub that was on there, according to ABC affiliate WLOS.
The recording then showed a girl posing for a picture as she held another cub in her hands.
One of the crew was also seen dropping one of the cubs.
The baby bear was then shown running away and attempting to get back over the fence.
A witness from Berrington Village Apartments in Asheville took the discrete video.
Wildlife authorities were called and they responded to the scene.
A North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission special projects biologist, Ashley Hobbs, shared what she saw at the location.
“An apartment complex in the Fairview area that officer did ask me to assist him in response to that, so I did get on site and I saw the cub,” Hobbs said.
She explained that only one cub was still there by the time she got to the location.
Hobbs described the remaining baby bear as cold, wet, and alone for a while.
“We do think that the bear probably had a pretty traumatic experience,” she said.
Hobbs explained that the lonely cub was safe and was taken to a rehab facility.
She added that the cub would soon be returned to the wild.
Black bear mothers are known to use trees as a place to leave their cubs as they look for food, according to the North American Bear Center.
WILD WARNING
Hobbs also explained that officials did question and approach the group in the video.
“We did confront them on site that day and let them know how irresponsible and potentially deadly it could be for that cub to be separated from its mom, especially ripped out of a tree like that,” she said.
This anger was also expressed by the founder of Help Ashville Bears, Jody Williams, according to WLOS.
Williams stressed the importance of humans and animals peacefully living together.
“It’s just ignorance, total selfishness, this is not what we talk about when we talk about coexisting,” he said.
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