Police Officer Spots Sick Bear Cub On Street And Risked His Life To Save It

Oct 09, 2018

There are few things more adorable than a tiny bear cub, but there are also few things more dangerous than a mama bear. Thomas Owens of the New Hampshire State Troopers recently found himself in something of a pickle when he risked his life to rescue a sickly bear cub who had been left behind by his mother.

Read on for a sweet story of courage, recovery, and a happy ending for two brother bears!

New Hampshire is home to roughly 5,000 bears, so you can imagine that seeing black bears while on duty in the White Mountain National Forest is nothing new for Thomas Owens. One day while sitting in his patrol car he happened to see a black bear trying to cross the road with her four cubs, but something was wrong. As he watched he saw the bears walking back and forth across the road and he realized that one of the tiny cubs was falling behind and his mama was trying to encourage him to keep going by coming back for him. 

The cub eventually became too weak to keep walking and collapsed on the road while his mother tried to help him stand. The desperate mama bear made one of the most difficult decisions a mother can make; she took her three healthy cubs and moved them off of the road into the safety of the forest leaving the sick cub alone in the road.

Owens knew that approaching bears in the wild was not a good idea and that mother bears can be dangerously protective of their cubs. If he approached the sick cub and his mother was still close by she might attack him to protect her baby, but if he didn't do something to help the cub the poor little creature would be left to an uncertain and possibly tragic fate. He decided to stay close to the cub while they waited for New Hampshire Fish and Game to arrive with help. He knew the risk he was taking, but he also knew that getting the sick cub the help he needed was the right thing to do.

When Fish and Game arrived they rushed the cub to a rehab center and Owens came along. The two spent some time together bonding and taking pictures; a new friendship had formed between the sickly little cub and his brave hero!

This might sound like the perfect ending to this heartwarming story, but it actually gets better for the little cub.

After arriving at the Fish and Game rehab center Owens discovered that earlier that day Fish and Game had been alerted to another abandoned bear cub, the same mama bear's fifth baby! They were able to find him and bring him to the rehab center to be reunited with his brother. Once the brother bears are feeling better and have fully recovered they will be returned to the wild where they can be reunited with their mother and other siblings. Just imagine mama bear's joy when the cubs she thought she's lost are returned to her safely and in perfect health! Owens' courage made it possible for this family of bears to find each other again against all odds.

If this story has inspired and touched your heart, please share your thoughts with us and don't forget to help spread the word of Owens' brave actions with your friends and family!