Juggles ‘bearly’ survived ordeal in plastic prison | Sam Venable

Sam Venable
·2 min read

TOWNSEND — The grandfather in me wanted to pat Juggles and say, “We all make mistakes, pal. You’re lucky to get out of this one alive. I hope you learned a good lesson.”

But I don’t make a habit of patting 110-pound bears. Besides, this predicament wasn’t Juggles’ fault. The blame goes to whoever left a pet feeder where Juggles could find it.

Juggles didn’t stick around for conversation. He hit the ground at full speed, pausing only to irrigate a tree (thus endearing himself to grandfathers everywhere who understand the urgency) and dashed out of sight.

It marked the happy ending of a sad saga.

Juggles, a 110-pound black bear cub, hits the trail running after being released on the western edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Jan. 8. Personnel from the National Park Service, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Appalachian Bear Rescue were on hand for the occasion.
Juggles, a 110-pound black bear cub, hits the trail running after being released on the western edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Jan. 8. Personnel from the National Park Service, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Appalachian Bear Rescue were on hand for the occasion.

On Aug. 14, officials at the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Appalachian Bear Rescue received reports of a cub with “something” on its head. The young animal, along with three siblings and their mother, was being detected by home security cameras in Blount County near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Days turned into weeks as personnel from the state agency and the nonprofit bear rehabilitation center set cage traps, but to no avail. It wasn’t until Oct. 3 that a property owner spotted the cub and ran it up a tree. TWRA biologist Jannell Musser sedated the bear with a dart. It was taken to University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine for evaluation and removal of the torturous collar.

“The top of the tube was open,” said Dana Dodd, executive director at ABR (appalachianbearrescue.org). “Apparently it had been able to find some food and water. My guess is it couldn’t keep up with the rest of its family. Or maybe the mother ran it off, sensing it wouldn’t survive. We’ll never know.”

The 48-pound animal was riddled with ticks and intestinal parasites. Blood tests revealed a serious urinary tract infection. Its ears were packed with dirt and compressed flat. As Dodd quipped, “He’s probably the first bear that ever got a spa treatment.”

Nicknamed “Juggles,” the cub was taken to ABR’s remote, high-tech facility, where he was treated with worm medicine and antibiotics. “The vets had used a laser to stimulate blood flow to his ears, and pretty soon they began to stand back up,” said Dodd.

Gaining weight, Juggles advanced to an outdoor enclosure along with three other ABR orphans: Tater, Nugget and Doodlebug.

All four were returned to the wild on Jan. 8. Juggles went to the west end of the park, Nugget to the east. Tater and Doodlebug were freed where they’d been found: Fentress County, Tennessee, and Leslie County, Kentucky, respectively.

Don’t worry about the harsh weather. Bears are resilient and resourceful. Radio-tracking by ABR shows they find suitable shelter in a matter of days, sometimes even hours. On his own and without the chokehold, Juggles surely thinks he’s in paradise.

Sam Venable’s column appears every Sunday. Contact him at sam.venable@outlook.com.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Juggles ‘bearly’ survived ordeal in plastic prison | Sam Venable