Wildlife Officials Leave Recovery Of Black Bear To Mother Nature

A black bear hit by a car Thursday is on her own now, a state wildlife official said Friday.

“We’re just going to assume that she’s going to make it and leave it at that,” said Madonna Luers, spokeswoman for the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The bear was bloodied during the morning commute Thursday as she and her cub tried to cross state Highway 27 south of the Spokane Valley. The cub was not hit.

The bruins spent most of the day after the accident lounging in a tree near the road, then wandered into the surrounding hills.

The extent of the mother’s injuries was never determined.

“It’s possible that the bear could still die, but it’ll be hard to tell unless (her body) turns up somewhere,” Luers said Friday.

Spokane County hosts a healthy population of black bears, she added, and the animals are not considered endangered in Washington.

, DataTimes