GAINESVILLE, Fla. --
Firestorm 2007 has not only forced people from their homes but it has also destroyed some of the natural habitat of wildlife.
The fire burning in Columbia County recently displaced a family of bears.
On Mother's Day, citizens assisted Florida Game and Wildlife Commission officers in rescuing a mother bear and her 3-month-old cub trapped in the fire.
The mother bear was at the base of a tree and the cub was about 65 feet above, in the tree's branches. Crews had to use a cherry picker to get the cub from the tree.
"The mother, when we first approached was on the ground, protecting her cub, who was about 65 feet up in the area in the tree," said GWC spokeswoman Karen Parker.
The mother and cub are being cared for at the University of Florida Veterinary School. The mother bear has burns on her paws.
"The scenario that we think may have happened is that she was able to go in and retrieve one cub. The cub has minimal or no damage to it at all. So, most likely, she went into the area, retrieved the cub and sustained the injuries herself to protect the cub," said Dr. Adrienne Atkins.
She said the mother bear's instinct left her seriously injured with third-degree burns on her paws that are painful and will require time to heal.
"Our base concern right now is to make sure her feet continue to heal and she doesn't develop an infection. So, we're doing wound care management similar to what you would with human burn patients," Atkins said.
How long the bears will remain at UF is not known. They will eventually be sent to a more secluded rehab facility and then back into the wild.
Atkins said they would like to name the bears, but they dont' want to become too attached to them. The mother bear is No. 215. Her cub is No. 215-cub.
