Oregon Teen Takes Wild Bear Cub Home, Quickly Realizes It’s Not a Pet

An Oregon teenager recently plucked a black bear cub from the wild, but quickly realized he and his family had absolutely no idea how to take care of it. (Duh.) It's the best example yet of why it's illegal (and not very smart) to remove a wild animal from its natural environment even if they are mind-meltingly awww-dorable.

The unnamed teen found the two-month-old cub -- which could grow up to six-feet-tall and eventually weigh as much as 600 pounds -- in the woods and brought it home. But after the family realized this was no domesticated pet, they called for help.

Eventually, the cub was taken to the Wildlife Images Rehabilitation and Education Center and came under the care of zookeeper Michelle Schireman, who found it a home at a Wisconsin zoo. The cub now goes by the name Aldo and has been adopted by an adult bear named Winnie.

While the story of this bear cub has a happy ending, Meg Kenagy, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, cautions people against treating bears like pets.

"If you see a young animal alone, leave it where it is. It's likely that its mother is nearby -- most animals leave their young to forage or hunt," Kenagy said. "Removing a young animal from the wild is illegal and greatly reduces the animal's chance of survival." Here's hoping the teen got a puppy instead.