© 2026 ABC News

\"If I hadn't been out on the trails in the rain today, this little boy would be dead,\" Hancock captioned the photo. \"I'm so completely thankful for today.\"

Hancock then took the cub, which he affectionately named Elkhorn because he found it on Elkhorn Road, to the Turtle Ridge Wildlife Center in Oregon, on the recommendation of someone on social media, he said. The center described the cub as \"malnourished\" and \"lethargic\" when it came in.

Elkhorn's condition significantly improved over 12 hours, the center said, and the cub has since been transferred to a wildlife veterinarian with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for a full health exam.

The center recommends calling wildlife officials if people encounter an animal that they believe may need help, but it thanked Hancock for his efforts in saving the cub.

\"This was an uncommon situation, and we appreciate Corey for trusting us with the distressed cub's care,\" the center wrote on Facebook. \"We are also grateful to our amazing community of supporters whose generosity ensures Turtle Ridge Wildlife Center is here to help in emergency situations such as this.\"

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife advises people to always leave wildlife in the wild, particularly young animals.

ODFW veterinarian Colin Gillin told ABC News that in nearly all cases, taking an animal out of the wild is not good for the animal, adding that there is no way to know \"why this animal was on the side of the trail\" or whether the mother simply left the cub for a while to forage for food.

After evaluating the cub, the department said it has no plans to euthanize it. Elkhorn will likely go to a zoo or a rehabilitation center to be released back into the wild. Chances of reuniting him with his mother at this point are \"very slim,\" Gillin said.

At the center, the cub will not learn basic survival skills from its mother, such as how to stay away from danger and how to forage, he said, adding the bear will be at a \"disadvantage\" when it is released.

When you \"take an animal in, none of those scenarios are better than it being with its mother,\" Gillin said, adding that with wildlife such as bears, mountain lions and deer, \"the parent animal is usually nearby.\"

He said that the best option for Hancock in this case would have been to contact the ODFW or Oregon State Police.

Hancock said he \"gets\" the law and although he was not aware of it at the time, he may not have abided by it if he had been. He said police contacted him and reminded him of the law.

\"I can't say for sure what I would do if I did know the law,\" said Hancock, a father of three. \"I have kids. That was a little life there that was about to be lost.\"

Gillin doesn't blame Hancock for picking up the cub, saying, \"He did what he thought he needed to do.\"

\"PHOTO:
Karen Olsen Richardson
PHOTO: A baby bison that was photographed in an SUV last week has been euthanized by the National Park Service after its herd failed to accept it back.
>

A similar issue was raised last year when a baby bison was euthanized after visitors at Yellowstone National Park placed it in the back of their vehicle because it looked cold. After the calf was taken to a park facility, park rangers spent more than two days trying to get it to return to its herd, but it was repeatedly rejected and ultimately had to be put down.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/US/oregon-hiker-receives-warning-citation-taking-bear-cub/story?id=46443954","legacySlug":"/news/story/oregon-hiker-receives-warning-citation-taking-bear-cub-46443954","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"02:29","publishDate":"03-30-2017","updatedTime":"16:08","updatedDate":"03-30-2017","socialImage":{"alt":"Oregon resident Corey Hancock came across a 3-month-old bear cub, nicknamed \"Elkhorn,\" while hiking on the Santiam River Trail outside Salem on Monday. ","credit":"Turtle Ridge Wildlife Center","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/ht-bear-cub-er-170329_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"3/30/2017 02:29:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":46443954,"headline":"Hiker receives warning for taking bear cub to wildlife center","mediaAssetTitle":"jacobo_oregon bear cub_170329","description":"The 3-month-old bear cub is now in the care of Oregon wildlife officials.","duration":"1:08","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2017/03/170330_atm_bear_cub_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132055565","131830882","130993584"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 15, 2026","headline":"American influencer found dead in Tanzania","section":"News","slug":"/video/132055565","id":"132055565","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 8, 2026","headline":"Ceasefire analysis, unanswered questions ahead","section":"News","slug":"/video/131830882","id":"131830882","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Ceasefire analysis, unanswered questions ahead","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Ceasefire analysis, unanswered questions ahead","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"March 12, 2026","headline":"Winter whiplash plunges temperatures along the East Coast","section":"News","slug":"/video/130993584","id":"130993584","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Winter whiplash plunges temperatures along the East Coast","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Winter whiplash plunges temperatures along the East Coast","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Hiker receives warning for taking bear cub to wildlife center","description":"The 3-month-old bear cub is now in the care of Oregon wildlife officials.","duration":"1:08","uploadDate":"03-30-2017","publication":"03-30-2017","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2017/03/170330_atm_bear_cub_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2017/03/170330_atm_bear_cub_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/oregon-hiker-receives-warning-citation-taking-bear-cub-46443954"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131247079","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131228784","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131178806","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131142257","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131046664","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131048076","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131033212","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"130999943","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Hiker receives warning for taking bear cub to wildlife center","pubTime":"22:29","pubDate":"03-29-2017","modTime":"12:08","modDate":"03-30-2017","taxonomyTags":"none","id":46443954,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Hiker receives warning for taking bear cub to wildlife center","mediaAssetTitle":"jacobo_oregon bear cub_170329","videoId":46443954,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/oregon-hiker-receives-warning-citation-taking-bear-cub-46443954"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/46443954","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/46443954","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};