A black bear was rescued from the side of a Minnesota highway on Sunday night, thanks to the help of a good Samaritan and a local law enforcement official.
The Isanti County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook that Deputy Damion Kosmosky, with the help of a good Samaritan, located the black bear cub on Highway 65 in Stanchfield Township before safely retrieving it.
Once in their possession, the duo moved the juvenile bear to an area in the woods, where its mother and another cub were waiting.
“Tonight, Deputy Kosmosky, with the help of a good Samaritan in Stanchfield Township, saved this youngster from traffic on Highway 65,” the sheriff’s office posted. “Though this incident ended positively, we do not recommend our residents [to] handle wild animals.”
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Isanti County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Damion Kosmosky rescued a black bear cub from the side of a highway on April 7, 2024. (Isanti County Sheriff’s Office)
The post also included photographs of the rescue.
In one picture, Kosmosky was seen holding the cub while it was wrapped in a pink towel, while another photo showed the mother bear and another cub waiting by a tree.
Amy Gregg, who posts to Instagram with the username @GreggMediaOutdoors, shared a video of the bear rescue on the social media platform.
Isanti County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Damion Kosmosky rescued a black bear cub from the side of a highway on April 7, 2024. (Isanti County Sheriff’s Office)
In the post, Gregg described the scene, saying traffic scared the mother bear and would not stop to allow one of her bear cubs to cross the highway.
“…I was unable to move my vehicle, due to the cub retreating from the passing cars and hiding underneath it,” she said. “A gentleman, who was headed in the opposite direction, and I decided to take action and make sure the cub didn’t get hit.”
Gregg said she did not have pets in her vehicle and was able to place the bear cub in the passenger seat until help could arrive.
A short time later, Kosmosky pulled up behind Gregg and took the cub to a safer location to reunite with its mother.
“A happy ending to a very eventful ending,” Gregg posted.
The sheriff’s office said bear sightings continued to happen across the county and advised residents to bring bird feeders inside and keep garbage contained and off the curb until garbage day.
FOX 9 in Minneapolis reported that residents in a Cambridge, Minnesota neighborhood reportedly saw a black bear wandering around near a lake. The same bear reportedly goes up and down the streets and digs through garbage cans, searching for fruit.
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
Story tips and can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.