Oregon police 'detain' adorable, orphaned bear cub overnight
Screenshot


What do you do if you find a cuddly black bear cub whimpering in the bushes outside your home?
Well, wildlife authorities say you actually should leave the area and call officials, because a nearby Momma Bear could make for a scary situation. But a teenage boy in southern Oregon ignored that protocol and rescued a 12-pound cub earlier this week; the boy and his parents dropped off the cub in a plastic storage bin at the Myrtle Creek police station. Police and officials from Oregon's Department of Fish and Wildlife searched for the mother bear to no avail, so the cub spent a night "detained" at the station. He was "very well behaved," Don Brown, police chief in Myrtle Creek, told The Associated Press.
While bear hunting season kicked off on April 1 in Oregon, authorities said they have not found any dead bears in the area. Nevertheless, the presumably orphaned cub headed for the University of Oregon to receive a checkup, and then he will be cared for at a zoo.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Watch the little guy toddle around the police station in the video below for your fix of Saturday adorableness. --Sarah Eberspacher
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
-
Gandhi arrests: Narendra Modi's 'vendetta' against India's opposition
The Explainer Another episode threatens to spark uproar in the Indian PM's long-running battle against the country's first family
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans