Matt Hankins was monitoring a brush fire in the Piney community of Wythe County on Thursday night when he got some alarming news: A bear cub or cubs might be in harm’s way.
A bear, believed to be a mama, was seen running away from the area, he said Monday.
Hankins, the assistant county administrator and a former volunteer firefighter, was at the scene because he had been serving as acting chief of emergency services.
It was just getting dark and the decision had been made to pull back the firefighters from several volunteer departments because the fire had gotten so big and hot in some areas, and the terrain was steep, according to Hankins. The state Department of Forestry, with its needed mechanized equipment, was going to take over.
Hankins and Chuck Parnell, the county’s new director of emergency services, were at the command center near the fire’s origin when the brush pile began to rekindle. That’s when he got the news about the bear, or bears.
Hankins said he started listening for any sound of distress. As the fire grew hotter, he started to hear yelping. Armed with a flashlight, he and several young firefighters began to search the burned area.
The yelping grew louder, so they knew they were getting close when one of the firefighters pointed to something that was moving.
“Sure enough, there was a little bear cub nose sticking out from under the tree,” said Hankins, who said the cub was only about 2 feet from where the fire had burned.
He wanted to see if the bear was injured, but he also needed to determine whether there were additional cubs. But the little bear was alone and seemed to want help.
Though the cub was small, the claws were impressive looking. Hankins borrowed gloves and reached down for the animal.
“It looked up at me and … it came out a little bit, far enough so I could reach it and he didn’t run away from me. So, I just reached down and pulled him in and carried him out of there like a baby,” he said.
Hankins took the animal to his vehicle, where he looked it over, checking its paws and body for any injuries but finding none. Although some at the scene wanted to touch and hold the cub, Hankins knew better.
He and his wife, Dulcie, are animal lovers and his wife has followed a number of animal rescues on social media over the years. Hankins knew it was best to limit the bear’s contact with humans and keep it in a safe, isolated spot.
He emptied out an equipment bag and zipped the little bear into it. He stashed the bag in the cargo area of his SUV and closed the hatch, monitoring the animal all the while.
Parnell began trying to contact someone with the state Department of Wildlife Resources who could advise them what to do next.
Around 9 p.m., they got in touch with Kathleen Black, a district wildlife biologist based in Marion. She headed to the fire scene and learned of the efforts that had been made to find the mother bear, a den or other cubs, with no success.
“Biologists determined that the mother bear was unlikely to return to retrieve the cub anytime soon, given the extent of the fire and ongoing human disturbance as crews continued working to contain the blaze,” she said via email Monday.
Black cared for the cub at her home overnight. She said it is a black bear that appears to be a male just 6 to 8 weeks old. She could find no obvious injuries; he was stressed and scared but seemed to be in good shape overall, though he smelled strongly of smoke.
He was placed overnight in a small dog crate and was quiet for the next few hours, she said.
The next morning, the cub was taken to the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro, where he was receiving round-the-clock care in the intensive care unit Monday afternoon, according to a news release from the center.
More about the bear rescue
Read more about the bear cub on the Wildlife Center of Virginia’s website, and follow the center on social media for updates on his progress.
The cub weighed about 5.5 pounds when admitted. An exam found no injuries, although the veterinary team is concerned he might have inhaled smoke, which could lead to inflammation, according to an update on the center’s website.
He is being closely monitored for any sign of respiratory problems. According to the update, the cub’s prognosis is fair.
Initially, beginning Friday night, the cub was provided electrolytes to help rehydrate him and then was transitioned to a special bear formula, which he is taking well by bottle, the update states. He is fed every six hours and is being offered a “mush bowl” because he’s at the age when he’ll start eating solid food.
The cub is the fourth infant black bear cub admitted in 2024 to the wildlife center, which is a nonprofit teaching and research hospital for native wildlife. The center, which relies on donations, is the state’s only veterinary and rehabilitation facility permitted to provide long-term care for black bears, the release states.
Department of Wildlife Resources bear biologists are looking into the possibility of placing the cub with a wild foster mother with cubs of similar size and age, but that window is quickly closing. Once the weather warms up, mother bears and cubs leave their dens and placing a new cub is not feasible, according to the wildlife center.
If a wild foster cannot be arranged, the cub will remain at the center until he is old enough to survive on his own and can be released back into the wild, Black said.
Hankins, who lives in Austinville, has kept up with the bear’s progress, although he understands that little information will be released. He said he’s happy knowing he could help.
“It’s all been a team effort,” he said. “But the important outcome is that the bear is safe and it may be moved on to a foster situation and get a chance at a long life.”
The fire, caused by someone who was burning brush and lost control of the blaze, covered 284 acres and was contained by Friday, according to the state forestry department. The Ivanhoe Volunteer Fire Department was assisted by 10 departments and agencies.