Bear cub injured in traffic incident, being nursed back to health

ERWIN, Tenn.—A bear cub was struck by a car on Interstate 26 in Unicoi County sometime over the weekend and is now being nursed back to health with the help of an animal-loving police officer.

Sunday morning, Sgt. Heather Reams of the Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department was alerted by another driver that a bear had been hit around mile marker 52, in the Flag Pond area. The bear was in bad condition, and needed help urgently.

Sgt. Reams, a K-9 handler, located the bear and immediately did all she could to rescue him. According to reports the black bear, who weighs less than 100 pounds, had an obvious head injury and was passing blood out of its nose and mouth. The bear was moving around, however, and she kept the bear from going back into traffic by placing a dog collar and a lead around the bear’s neck and leading him back to safety.

At the time, neither Reams nor Sheriff Kent Harris could make contact with the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency so the bear was taken to Unicoi Mayor Johnny Lynch’s farm with the help of Tyler Lynch and a pickup truck.

Reams rode with the bear in the back of the truck to the farm and called in a local veterinarian. According to the vet, the bear is suffering from a concussion. Reams named the animal “Lucky.”

TWRA is expected to retrieve the bear in the next few days and place him in a facility in Townsend, Tenn. where he will be under the care of wildlife officials while he is nursed back to health. As of Sunday night, officials say they expect the bear to make a full recovery.

Incidents such as this are on the rise, particularly in areas of the country where wildlife areas and communities of people intersect. With the recent influx of tourists, hoping to see beautiful fall leaves, incidents between vehicles and wildlife are bound to increase with traffic.

According to a report by the U.S. Department of Transportation, “This presents a real danger to human safety as well as wildlife survival. State and local transportation agencies are looking for ways to find a balance among travel needs, human safety, and conserving wildlife.“

Not all animals are as “lucky” as Lucky, and the DOT reminds people to be safe and watchful motorists when on the road for the safety of animals and people alike.