Forester rescues bear cub out of charred fire zone

Animals have adapted over thousands of years to natural disasters like fires by fleeing or seeking shelter. But this year's earlier start to the fire season has put younger animals at risk, wildlife experts say.

The result?  Li'l Smokey, a black bear cub, was found badly burned and was rescued this week by Adam Deem, 32, of Anderson, Calif., a forester with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Deem was working the burned area from the Moon fire in Northern California, one of 158 fires started by lightning nearly a month ago. In the last month alone, the state at one point had more than 1,700 fires burning.

Li'l Smokey, weighing 8 1/2  pounds and estimated to be 6 months old, is now  at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care in South Lake Tahoe, one of the only centers in the state where cubs can be treated and taught survival skills until ready to return to the wild.

Check out Li'l Smokey's story in today's paper.

--Tami Abdollah

Photo: Adam Deem holds the cub he found amid burned brush in Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Li'l Smokey's paws were badly burned and his left eye was singed.

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Comments

[sandra m]

Certainly, the cub's burns and injuries should have been treated. But, shouldn't a search have been conducted to find the mother? Deem claims that he and the cub "cried" to get her attention. Maybe, she was in need in medical attenton. A cub is better off with his mother-unless we know for sure she's dead.

[tigerstripes]

It always pays to read the entire article:
"Fire officials and others have tried searching for Lil' Smokey's mother without luck. "You have to wonder about the mother and what happened to her," Martarano said. "If the cub was burned, that means he was in the fire."
. . . and if it wasn't for the guy, the fireman taking his time to pick him up, he'd be dead."

Mr. Deems is a lovely guy who did the right thing. He could have walked away, but he didn't. I saw footage of him and the cub on the tv this weekend, and he really restores my faith in people. Thank you, Mr. Deems.

[Kendra]

This story is definitely touching. I looked into the Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, the facility where the cub has been taken, and found some footage on youtube which talks about the other great things that they have been doing.

The images and stories about these animals that have been saved is really something.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vrTRg3WnDI

[Tyler Dawn]

This is Adam's sister. He looked for a long time actually. Adam is a professional forester and only an idiot would even get near a baby bear unless he was 100% sure that there was no mom around. But that bear would not have survived without medical treatment, mother or no. The truth is that if Adam had found the mom, the cub would probably be dead by now because he did not have the materials necessary to tranq the mom (or the strength to pick up a full grown momma bear to get her into the truck). As it was, Adam had to drive 90 minutes holding onto a cub who was trying to scratch his face and hands off and jump out the window.

Adam spent a lot of time mimicking the mother's calls, trying to get her to respond, if she had been there, she would have.

[GLaird in Idaho]

It is a wonderful thing that Adam Deem did for the young cub and I commend him on his compassion for the cub. Lil'Smokie is lucky to have a guardian angel such as Adam.