COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A bear cub who wildlife officials believe was abandoned by its mother was rescued from a tree and taken to a rehab facility on Sunday, according to the Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD).
CSFD Truck 9 was asked by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to help rescue the bear cub, nicknamed Buddy, from a tree near Cooper Avenue and Washington Street at about 6 a.m.
Moments before, the cub ran across six lanes of Interstate 25 near downtown, according to CPW, and climbed about 35 feet into a nearby tree. The cub's presence prompted dozens of calls from residents as it moved north along a fence before climbing into the tree, CPW said.
Truck 9's ladder was used to get a CPW officer close enough to use a dart to tranquilize the cub. That officer then went back up and grabbed the sleeping cub, handing it to a firefighter who wrapped it in a tarp and hauled it down, CPW said.
The cub, which CPW believed was abandoned by its sow, was very low weight. CPW Officer Tim Kroening estimated the cub to be 20 pounds, or a third of what it should weigh by now.
For that reason, Buddy was taken to Wet Mountain Wildlife Rehabilitation in Wetmore to gain some weight ahead of the winter months. CSFD said the bear will be released back into the forest in February.
Watch a video of the rescue operation below.
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