The Stick Bear

The Cades Cove bear with quite a remarkable story.

Though the bear center had officially documented and released their first bear the year prior, a bear called "Zero", it was done without much attention or fanfare. Much of the facility was still under construction at the time and there really was not much of a facility at all. Now that a fully functional facility was complete we were ready to begin our mission of black bear advocacy. Besides education and research one of the objectives of the center was to provide a place for the National Park Service and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to bring orphaned or injured bears should they need assistance. Up to this point in time, the only assistance we provided was to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service caring for a couple of non-releasable black bears (Dakota and Sara). The bear that started the constant flow of attention and notoriety for the center came from one of the most beautiful places on earth, a place called Cades Cove, located on the western half of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

Here is "Cadey's" story...

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Not many folks consider feeding a couple of beautiful cinnamon-colored black bears as part of their daily routine, but that was mine. That routine changed when a call came in from Kim Delozier, head biologist at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

"Hey Daryl, you guys up and ready to go at the center? I think we have a bear for you." Kim bellowed with his powerfully deep but friendly voice.

Kim was well aware of the Herculean effort it took to get the facility up and running. As one of the lead designers of the bear pens, Kim knew first-hand of the great service the bear center could provide to his agency, the National Park Service.

"We're ready to go Kim, what's up?"

"We had a bear wander into Cades Cove campground a few days ago and it looked pitiful...it was literally a bag of bones. Anyway, Rick trapped it last night and we were going to move it but we didn't think it'd survive. We just took it to the UT vet clinic to see if it has any internal injuries. If they determine the bear is ok, would you be willing to take her for a bit to fatten her up? I'd like to get some weight on her before she's released."

"You know we will," I said with a grin.

About an hour later I received word that the bear was on its way.

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Oftentimes you remember meeting someone for the first time. How often does that occur when the person you meet is cradling a sedated bear in his arms? (See opening pic!)

That's how I met Rick Varner.

I had been down in the wild enclosure making sure all was set to receive our new arrival. There wasn't much to do since we had been preparing for this moment for many years, but as a perfectionist I couldn't help but double and triple check things. As I was examining the electric fence to make sure it was free of debris, I heard the truck door slam in the distance. The technician from the Park had arrived with the bear.

When I crested the hill to the drive I saw the heavy metal transport cage in the back of the NPS truck. Rick had checked in with my wife (the other full-time volunteer though she didn't know it) to make sure I was there. Assured that I was, he began prepping the bear. Since she was still pretty groggy from her visit to the vet clinic Rick only had to give her a small dose of sedative to buy us enough time to carry her by hand down to the main pen. Hence being greeted by a man with a bear in his arms was quite the treat.

Her placement in the freshly-prepared bear pen was anti-climactic, her story on the other hand, was quite the opposite.

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Upon arriving at the vet clinic, the doctors could plainly see the advanced emaciation her frame projected but they were also made aware of a visible limp she exhibited while traipsing through the campground. They soon went to work and began prepping her for a thorough examination. As a precaution they knocked her out with a cocktail of sedatives so she could easily be poked, prodded and x-rayed, if necessary. Her first stop, however...the scales.

A woeful...49 lbs!

"

The bear was literally a "bag of bones."

Yearlings bears that do not receive adequate nutrition oftentimes do not grow. They remain structurally small. This is why the general public often mistakes malnourished yearlings for first year cubs. However, considering some yearlings can weigh less than 20 lbs if food sources are scarce, 49 lbs does not sound all that drastic. Unfortunately, this bear's frame suggested otherwise. Instead her skeletal structure hinted she was probably a bit older than that but in order to accurately determine her age it would have been necessary to pull one of her teeth. It simply wasn't that necessary.

Something lie hidden below the skin of her right hind leg.

Next came the prodding.

At first, all appeared normal until they examined her back legs. The interior of her left hind leg exhibited a small scar with some type of callous formation beneath. Without any apparent broken bones they decided to do exploratory surgery where the scar lay. Given it's location, extra care had to be given so as not to damage or rupture the femoral artery. Remarkably, and much to their relief, they found exactly what was ailing the bear.

The "stick" that veterinarians removed from her leg.

Inside the bear's leg was a 4-inch stick that was lodged within her muscle!

The doctors removed the intrusion and stitched her back up. The rest of her examination revealed no other concerns.

Fortunately, her emaciated condition could easily be explained. How the stick got there, simply could not.

It is presumed the bear fell from a tree and impaled herself, either on the way down or upon the landing. The offending branch then broke off and became lodged deep within the wound. The injury severely limited her mobility and in her incapacitated condition she was lured to the easiest and most deadly source of food...human handouts (aka trash).

Regardless of how the injury occurred, her growing dependence on non-natural foods was her greatest ailment. A quick surgery, a brief but bountiful recovery period, and an expeditious release was exactly what the doctor ordered.

And the bear center delivered.

After six weeks the leg was completely healed.

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"Cadey" was released approximately six weeks after her surgery. 

On a bright sunny day, with scores of tourists and a handful of news crews on hand, a healthy 70-lb. black bear burst forward and galloped across a shimmering field of green and gold, pausing but for a brief moment undoubtedly to say thanks and farewell.

The day of Cadey's release was glorious...

....and after a brief pause...she was gone.