The Appalachian Bear Rescue is taking care of a new cub that is recovering after being hit by a car in the Smokies.
According to the ABR, the female cub named Persimmon Bear was walking with her mother and two other cubs when a car hit her on Oct. 19.
The ABR said 9-month-old cub was in bad shape after fracturing rubs and suffering severe contusions in one of her lungs, saying they were worried she might not have survived the night.
However, Persimmon was a fighter, and quickly began her path to recovery and showed signs of improvement in the following days.
Crews took her to the University of Tennessee Veterinary School, where she was treated for her bruised lungs and fractured ribs. Wets said they have to take special care when treating young bears like Persimmon.
"Bears are quite dangerous -- even the cubs -- so this one we had anesthetized for the entire procedure so she wasn't a sander to us, and we weren't a danger to her," Dr. Lauren Mulreany said.
Persimmon is now on pain medication and curators are tying to get her to eat more.
ABR said it doesn't consider any of its bears 'out of the woods' until they can release them into the woods again.