Police Officer ‘Escorts’ Lost Bear in Downtown Asheville :: WRAL.com
A viral video of a wandering bear in downtown Asheville has been shared thousands of times on social media
The video, taken by Cari Barcasshows the bear strolling past the Asheville Club, under signs reading “Wine, Live Music, Mimosas” and “Local Beer”.
Barcas superimposed the playful tune of ‘Bear Necessities’ on the original video – which WRAL News had to change due to copyright restrictions – and shows people looking out of street windows as a police officer walks by the bear. The bear appears to be wearing a tracking collar around its neck.
“I walked into this scene leaving my office in downtown Asheville,” Barcas wrote. “I hope the police escort helped this sweet baby get home safely!”
Other videos of the bear downtown have also started gaining momentum online, with other perspectives showing the bear appearing to be unafraid of people, walking very close to passers-by and even a dog. However, although the bear seemed willing to approach other people and animals, the bear also seemed nervous in traffic, even rearing up to hug a tree as a bus passed.
The second video drew concerning comments, as people feared the bear appeared scared and unable to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Fortunately, a police officer was able to intervene and help “guide” the bear to safety.
After Barcas’ post went viral, she updated it to include links to organizations working locally to support the health and welfare of the bear population in the mountains.
“Rapid local development is pushing bears out of their natural habitats, so it’s our responsibility to find ways to nurture and co-exist with these beautiful creatures,” she wrote.
She linked to:
Especially in light of today being Earth Day, Barcas encourages people to check out these resources to learn tips for becoming responsible stewards of the local bear population. She hopes the video can be used to educate and inspire others.
“Given the amount of exposure the video has received, I hope to use this as a teachable moment that brings awareness to some of the underlying issues affecting our beloved bear population here in the mountains.”
Barcas is the associate director of Alliance built greenan organization focused on sustainable living, green building and climate justice.