Oregon hunters under investigation after taking wild bear cubs home

PORTLAND, Ore. (KABC) -- Two hunters in Oregon are under investigation after removing a pair of tiny bear cubs from the wild and bringing them home earlier this week.

The bear cubs, each weighing about 5 pounds, were taken to the Paws Wildlife Center after police said two hunters found them near Portland, saw no sign of their mother and decided to bring them home -- where they were kept for as long as two days until the hunters contacted wildlife officials.

The hunters are being investigated because it is illegal to keep wild animals in captivity. It's something Corey Hancock said he didn't realize when he found a bear cub injured, emaciated and alone in Oregon last month.

"My heart was racing. I was trying to figure out what to do," he said.

After posting on social media, asking for advice, he brought the bear to the wildlife center.

The first cub and the cubs rescued this week are together, being cared for in an enclosure with minimal human contact.

"It's very important that they associate humans with bad things, as opposed to being a source of food or a source of social interaction," said Dr. John Huckabee of the wildlife center.

Experts urge people to call wildlife officials anytime there's a concern about an animal, rather than taking matters into their own hands.

As for the cubs, vets plan to keep them at that facility for a year before releasing them back into the wild.