Bear cub’s paw was stuck under 40-pound boulder for days. See Virginia rescue
A 3-month-old black bear got his paw stuck under a 40-pound boulder in Virginia — leaving him crying and trapped for days, wildlife experts said.
The less than 10-pound cub, from Lexington, was admitted to the Wildlife Center of Virginia on May 12 for treatment, according to a news release by the rescue service.
The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources responds to calls about orphaned and injured cubs and helps bring them to the center after determining if they’re in need of help, a Wildlife Center of Virginia spokesperson told McClatchy News.
It’s not clear how the cub got caught, but biologists at the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources believe the boulder may have come loose when he climbed onto it or fallen while the cub was foraging underneath it, the spokesperson said.
The young cub was “moderately dehydrated” and had a swollen paw when he arrived, according to the center.
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Now, he’s recuperating in a large mammal isolation compound where he can smell and hear another bear cub at the center, the rescue service said, adding that he had to be kept separate because of his injuries.
“Because the cub is young and his joints and bones have not fully ossified, the veterinary team plans to take repeat radiographs of the paw as he develops,” experts said in the release.
Lexington is in Rockbridge County, about 140-miles west from Richmond.
Where was the bear’s mom?
Biologists believe the injured cub may have been abandoned, but it’s not known if that would have happened before the entrapment or after, according to the spokesperson.
“It is interesting to note that the boulder could have easily been moved by an adult bear, so the situation is once again unclear,” the spokesperson said.
Instead of releasing the bear to the location where it was found, experts decided to place him in the orphaned bear program, the spokesperson said.
“Due to the nature of the potential injuries causing mobility issues, and the length of time that the cub had been crying, it was deemed unlikely that the sow was in the area and was attempting to retrieve the cub,” biologists said, according to the spokesperson.
What to do if you see a bear cub
The spokesperson for the center said if you see a bear cub that looks abandoned or injured you should not pick it up or make contact with it but instead call your state wildlife rehabilitation center for guidance.
This story was originally published May 16, 2025 at 3:11 PM with the headline "Bear cub’s paw was stuck under 40-pound boulder for days. See Virginia rescue."
