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Monday, November 2, 2026Nov 2

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Family gets visit from orphaned bear cub, feeds him apples

In this Oct. 20, 2015 photo, a bear cub, who was found wandering near the Bear River near Chinook, Wash., sits in a trap, to give his mother one last chance to find him. He has been taken to a wildlife rehabilitation facility by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife after being discovered by the Hazen family, which fed him apple slices.  (Natalie St. John/The Chinook Observer via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
In this Oct. 20, 2015 photo, a bear cub, who was found wandering near the Bear River near Chinook, Wash., sits in a trap, to give his mother one last chance to find him. He has been taken to a wildlife rehabilitation facility by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife after being discovered by the Hazen family, which fed him apple slices. (Natalie St. John/The Chinook Observer via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT In this Oct. 20, 2015 photo, a bear cub, who was found wandering near the Bear River near Chinook, Wash., sits in a trap, to give his mother one last chance to find him. He has been taken to a wildlife rehabilitation facility by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife after being discovered by the Hazen family, which fed him apple slices. (Natalie St. John/The Chinook Observer via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) – A family from southwest Washington had an unexpected visitor.

A small black bear cub wandered along Erica and Bruce Hazen’s country road, peeking into their kitchen through a glass door.

One evening, the cub stood alone in the rain, looking for a way into the couple’s home. The Hazens live just across the mouth of the Columbia river from Astoria.

The Daily Astorian reports (http://bit.ly/1PTmpKQ ) the family fed the cub apple slices.

After the mother bear didn’t appear for two nights, the Hazens called the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

A wildlife official captured the cub into a bear trap, with the help of more apple slices.

Because he’s healthy, the cub will be taken to a rehabilitation facility where other bear cubs are being raised.

The hope is that he’ll eventually be released into the wild.