Bear Survives Wildfire and Adopts Toy Bear

A bear that survived a wildfire but had its paws badly burned has a new friend.  The animal was recovered as a cub after a fire in California and was being treated for burns when it escaped and returned to the wild.  Recently, a trail camera caught the now young animal playing in a small pond.  The animal wasn’t alone.

He Has an Unusual Companion

He has a toy bear that he likes to play with.  No one has an answer as to where the toy came from, but the yearling appears to really care for his companion.  It may have been left behind as people fled past fires or he found it at some point on his journey back into the forest.

Animals Show Signs of Possession

I’ve seen animals adopt some unusual toys as companions.  A friend had a very large cat and it had a small toy alligator it carried from floor to floor at her house.  The cat had a distinct meow when carrying the stuffed reptile.  When he went to see the veterinarian, the toy went along and kept him calm.  If he had an overnight at the animal hospital, he slept with the alligator.

A neighbor of mine many years ago had a medium-sized dog that wouldn’t go for a walk without carrying an empty milk jug between his teeth.  It started when he was a puppy.  He played with the empty jug and it became his personal property.  He would carry it when he went for a walk and wouldn’t let it go.  Even when doing his business!