MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — It was just after noon when Olivia Asher, an intern at Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center near Stroudsburg, says a mix of heavy winds and rain toppled a large pine tree onto the center's Black Bear Cub Enclosure, "I'd been kind of hearing trees falling down all morning when I was out here and then was just standing right here and heard the snap.
Luckily, she says no animals were inside.
This damage comes just weeks before the executive director of the rescue says they are expecting their first group of black bear cubs.
"We are the only rehab in Pennsylvania that does black bear cubs, so they are going to be coming in soon. We need to make sure we have the facilities for them to be here," said Susan Downing, Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center Executive Director.
Executive Director Susan Downing says the building also serves as a recovery space for birds and other animals, "It's a perfect flight enclosure for testing animals to make sure they can fly before they are released. It's multi-functional when we don't have a bear."
Along with figuring out how to fix the enclosure, Downing says more work will need to be done around the property to ensure all the other animals are safe in this kind of harsh weather, "It's been on the back burner because our money can only go so far stretch so far and we realize the amount of trees around the flight pens that need to be removed."
The downed tree is expected to be removed in the coming days; then, work will begin to fix the enclosure. To learn more about how you can help Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, click here.