A cub that was
snatched from a tree by people looking to take selfies back in April has been returned to a remote area of the North Carolina mountains after she was deemed “healthy and able to successfully survive in the wild”.The NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) told Storyful that the bear, nicknamed “selfie cub”, was equipped with a tracking collar and identification tags before her release to an “undisclosed” area.The cub was rescued by NCWRC staff earlier this year, after she gained international interest when she was seen being pulled from a tree at an Asheville apartment complex by people wishing to take photos of themselves with her.Video licensed by Storyful at the time can be accessed
here. A biologist at the time described people’s behavior as “irresponsible and potentially deadly” to the young bear.Following six months in a rehabilitation program, NCWRC staff deemed the bear healthy enough to be able to survive in the wild. Credit: NC Wildlife Resources Commission via Storyful