Colorado Hospital Staff Spot Mysterious Creature Hiding In Parking Lot And Act Fast To Help
It started as a normal morning at St. Francis Hospital in Colorado Springs, until staff noticed something strange in the employee parking lot.
Amid the parked cars, a few workers saw movement near the concrete barriers, and when they took a closer look, they were stunned by what appeared before them.
Huddled in a tiny gap by the pavement was a baby black bear, frightened, alone, and clearly far from where it belonged.
The staff quickly understood the cub needed help and alerted the hospital’s security team. One of the guards immediately called Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) for help.
When Aaron Berscheid, a district wildlife manager for CPW’s Southeast Region, arrived on the scene, the cub wasn’t easy to spot at first. Aaron shared in an interview:
“When I got closer, I realized how small it was.”
From a small hole in the concrete, the tiniest furry face appeared. It was the youngest bear Aaron had ever seen.
In Colorado Springs, bears wandering into neighborhoods isn’t unusual, but this situation was different. Aaron explained:
“The bear was definitely scared and nervous. Just kind of tucked up in there with sad puppy dog eyes.”
The cub had likely been on its own for days, possibly separated from its mom. Hungry and frightened, it had squeezed into a tiny hiding spot, trying to vanish from the world.
If the hospital staff hadn’t noticed it in time, the little bear might not have survived the night.
Carefully, Aaron and fellow wildlife manager Demetria Wright freed the cub from the hole. They wrapped it securely and took it to the CPW office for a health check.
The team examined the little bear and found it to be healthy overall. It was just severely underweight, as Aaron said:
“It ended up weighing 22 pounds, which is very small for this time of year. Usually they’ll be around 50 pounds or more, assuming they’re getting all the food that they need to thrive. The theory that I have is that this bear was either a runt of twins or more likely a runt of triplets.”
After receiving water, some rest, and gentle reassurance, the cub started to relax.
Its next destination was Frisco Creek Animal Care, a dedicated wildlife rehabilitation center where it could recover safely and grow stronger.
At Frisco Creek, the cub would receive everything it needed: proper food, medical care, and room to grow, while still keeping its wild instincts intact. Aaron explained:
“The amount of human interaction is very, very minimal, which is good for these animals so that they don’t get reliant on human interaction in order to survive.”
In roughly six months, once the cub is strong enough to care for itself, it will be released back into the wild, ready to live the life it was meant for.
Thanks to the keen eyes of the hospital staff, the compassion of the rescuers, and the dedication of the rehabilitation team, this frightened little bear now has a real shot at a future.
