I am a lifelong animal advocate, residing in the serene mountains of North Carolina, home to beautiful and majestic bears. Recently, an incident occurred that deeply disturbed me - individuals pulled bear cubs from a tree just to take selfies. This act not only disrupts the natural habitat of these creatures but also poses significant risks to their health and well-being.

According to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), it is illegal and punishable by law to disturb wildlife or their habitats. Despite this, such incidents continue unabated due largely to lack of enforcement and awareness.

Bears are an integral part of our ecosystem. It's crucial we respect these animals' rights for our mutual benefit.

Gail Thommsen, State Director for the Humane Society of the United States, had this to say about it…

“This incident that took place in Asheville, North Carolina is a startling and serious reminder of the severe lack of awareness, caution and respect for wildlife that some can exhibit when chasing opportunities to interact, handle and pose for photos with wild animals," Thomssen said. "The disruption to this mother bear and her cubs, just emerging from hibernation, has resulted in at least one cub being orphaned and separated from the family and possibly another cub being orphaned who remains unfound. The impact to these wild animals is deeply significant and forever life-changing, but it could have also been life-changing for the people who took part in this. Interacting with black bear cubs in any way when the mother is present represents one of the most dangerous human safety situations we can have with this incredible species. It is shockingly irresponsible and part of an unfortunate trend of people interacting with wildlife. It is cruel to the animals and puts the public in harm’s way."

These people were told to stop and that what they were doing was illegal by the woman who filmed the incident, but they continued on despite this knowingly breaking the law in order to get a selfie. (for more details and photos of the incident see this story)

We urge the North Carolina Department of Wildlife Resources to bring charges against those involved in this recent incident involving bear cubs. By doing so, we can send a clear message that such behavior will not be tolerated. Furthermore, we call on lawmakers to strengthen existing wildlife protection laws ensuring stricter penalties for violators.

Help us protect our beloved bears from unnecessary disturbances by signing this petition today!