SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. — Remember the three sweet cubs that were rescued after a gas leak reported under a house in Sevier County? Well, get ready for a fantastic reunion because Mama bear got the chance to be back with her babies.
Appalachian Bear Rescue reported that on Saturday, a homeowner detected a gas leak and called the gas company to turn off the gas and get the line repaired. When the repair crew arrived and crawled under the house, they saw a very large snoozing bear.
The bear, identified later as a female, made her winter den underneath the house and had given birth to three cubs, according to TWRA.
Because of the disturbance, the bear left her cubs and a TWRA wildlife officer delivered them to Appalachian Bear Rescue for care.
The cubs are very young females and their eyes have not open yet. They weigh just over two pounds each and they are in good health, officials said.
Officials said the bear returned to her den in the next couple of days and with the homeowner’s approval, TWRA's Dan Gibbs and several curators with ABR returned them through a vent in the home’s foundation.
Watch the sweet reunion. Isn't this beautiful?
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Three sweet cubs were rescued after a gas leak reported under a house in Sevier County.
Appalachian Bear Rescue officials said that on Saturday they started to receive text messages about a bear denning under a house in Sevier County.
The property owner detected a gas leak and called the gas company to turn off the gas and get the line repaired. When the repair crew arrived and crawled under the house, they saw a very large snoozing bear.
TWRA was notified and Sargent David Sexton responded to the scene.
Sargent Sexton saw the bear but did not hear any sounds of cubs under the house and he consulted with other experts and made a plan to get the bear to move along.
TWRA returned to the house on Sunday to encourage the big bear to leave the premises.
The bear moved but it was discovered it was a female bear and that she left behind three cubs-of-the-year.
Sargent Sexton called a curator who issued an emergency call to action and who then called another curator to share a list of needed supplies to keep the cubs warm and safe. They both drove to Sevier County to assist.
When they arrived, Sargent Sexton had already safely removed the cubs from under the home and was keeping them warm in a basket with warm towels.
Sargent Sexton watched to see if the mother bear would attempt to return, but she did not.
Officers will continue to check to see if there is any evidence of her returning to her former den.
One of the curators contacted the doctors at the University Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) and the three little bears were rushed to the hospital for care.
The cubs are very young females and their eyes have not open yet. They weigh just over two pounds each and they are in good health, officials said.
Late last night, the curators were able to get all three to consume bear milk replacer. Curators will continue to feed the cubs every three hours and will return the cubs to UTCVM if they require more medical assistance.
Appalachian Bear Rescue officials have alerted all the wildlife agencies to the situation and will investigate all possibilities for fostering these cubs to a mother bear and her family.
If fostering isn't an option, Appalachian Bear Rescue will provide care and return the three bears back to the wild when they are big and strong enough to live on their own.
If you want to help the organization with further rescues, click here to make a donation.