Dawson EMS personnel treat injured bear cub

A bear cub that was hit by a vehicle in the Big Canoe area of Dawson County Wednesday night is going to be okay thanks to personnel from Dawson County Emergency Services.

 

Dawson County Fire Chief Danny Thompson said the person who hit the male cub on Steve Tate Road alerted the crew at Station 6, which is located a short distance from the location where the accident happened. 

 

"Our personnel immediately began to treat the bear cub and also to try to notify the appropriate wildlife management people to get the cub the appropriate care [it needed]," Thompson said. 

 

While treating wildlife is beyond the normal duties of emergency personnel, Thompson said he was proud of the three crew members on duty.

 

"They were able to start some IVs on the bear cub, give it fluids until the Chestatee Wildlife personnel arrived to begin to take over care for him," Underwood said. "The men and women at that station last night went about and beyond and just really preserving life - life being that of the citizens and that of Mother Nature."

 

Thompson said the staff at Chestatee Wildlife Preserve are now caring for the cub. 

 

"They gave him some nutritional supplements last night and he's standing on his own and appears to be fine," Thompson said.

 

The bear has been named Dawson, according to Thompson. He said as time allows he plans to keep the public updated on social media on Dawson's progress. (Follow this link to the Dawson County Emergency Services Facebook page.)

 

Thompson said the accident involving the bear cub happened just after 9 p.m. He said treatment of the bear did not prevent Station 6 personnel from handling emergency calls.