NORTH CAROLINA, Unite States (Reuters) — Residents in Washington, North Carolina woke up on Wednesday (December 7) to find a black bear cub hanging out in a tree near their apartment building, NBC reported.
Local media said it was not unusual to see black bears in trees in the area and that they eventually come down at night time and leave, but animal control officers remained in the neighborhood to ensure the residents and the bear remained safe.
The bear is one of 16 subspecies of the American black bear and can weigh from 100 pounds to 500 pounds.
The bear entered American popular culture in 1902, when President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear that was trapped and tied to a tree by his hunting party.
The incident was featured in a cartoon in the Washington Post, sparking the idea for a Brooklyn candy-store owner to create the “Teddy” bear.
