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This Guy Risked Jail Time To Rescue A Dying Baby Bear He Found On A Hike

Photographer Corey Hancock was hiking a trail in Oregon when he spotted something that turned out to be a baby bear on the brink of death. Hancock wrote that the bear was “laying there on his back, seeming by all appearances to be dead. His lips were blue. His eyes were open, but unmoving and hazy. The rain was pouring down, drenching his belly. I might have seen a shallow breath.”

“I thought about my own baby boy back home. The bear looked so much like an infant. Was I just going to stand there and watch it die in the rain? No… I needed to do something.”

So he took the bear with him and started running to his car. “The whole time, I was sure a raging mother bear would come for me.”

Once they got to the car, the baby bear stopped breathing. Hancock performed mouth-to-mouth and the animal started breathing again. The rescuer took him to the vet where he is getting stronger everyday, being treated for severe dehydration and starvation.

However, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Hancock could have been fined $6,000 for helping the bear. Or even worse – sent off to a jail for a year. Luckily, there will be no punishment for this kind-hearted man.

More info: Facebook (h/t: animalrescuesite)

Corey Hancock spotted a dying baby bear while on a hike in Oregon

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He risked his life and jail time to save the animal – even performing mouth-to-mouth

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The baby bear was taken to a vet clinic where he is getting stronger every day

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What do you think ?

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Glynis Lailann 7 years ago

Than you for saving the bear.

41points

Terri Gold 7 years ago

He's a good-hearted and brave man. I understand the law but I get why this was an important thing to do. For those who don't understand the law...it's to keep humans from interfering in the natural processes of wildlife. - Strong survive, weak die. It's natural selection. There may have been something very wrong with this baby bear and that is why it was separated or abandoned from it's mother. Very sad but that's how much of the animal kingdom functions. Not elephants, however. They have a higher level of sentience.

33points

Hritcu Stefan 7 years ago

Or f*****g humans hunted his mother and he was left to fend for himself...

108points

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G.L.T. 7 years ago

Terri, your conclusion is drawn from inaccurate information, or perhaps even assumptions. Bears (like most mammals) won't abandon their young if they are not well or as fit as their siblings. Willful neglect of one child to ensure the survival of one more likely to survive does occur in situations where resources are extremely limited, but keep in mind that humans in poverty do this as well.

6points

Susann Campbell 7 years ago

So do we.

1point

Jonathan Jeremiah 7 years ago

But it's legal to hunt bears? Because that helps the natural processes of wildlife? Really curious!

0points

Patricia McGowen 7 years ago

But could also be a hunter who killed his mom. This is also the fate of bear cubs whose mothers were murdered. That man is a hero !!

0points

Ozan Yanar 7 years ago

Have you even seen the movie brother bear?

0points

Ozan Yanar 7 years ago

HAVE YOU EVEN SEEN THE MOVIE BROTHER BEAR

0points

Christine Aspinall 7 years ago

So, doing a good deed by saving a dying baby bear is 'interfering with nature'? According to the World Wildlife Fund, over 50% of the planet's wildlife has disappeared within the last 40 years due to hunting, habitat loss, etc. This being the case, it would appear to me that saving this baby, who would otherwise have definitely died, is an act of preservation of our dwindling wildlife. Bravo to him!

32points

Helping Panda 7 years ago

"act of preservation of our dwindling wildlife" Only if they later manage to release the bear back to the wild. Also, millions of baby animals would die "in nature" even if humans didn't have a devastating effect on the environment, so saving one could rightfully be described as "interfering with nature." Having said that, I do agree that he did the right thing. We are constantly interfering with nature anyway, we might as well do something nice while we are at it...

3points

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