Tetherball Bear Goes Viral: Rescued Cub LG Plays Schoolyard Game (VIDEO)
Tetherball bear is the latest viral sensation on YouTube, garnering 660,000 hits in just three days. The black bear, whose name is LG, manages to play the schoolyard game better than most elementary school children.
The tetherball bear, who also answers to "Eli," is a rescue living at Animal Ark, Inc. in Reno, Nevada. Anthony Fleming happened to be visiting the park, saw the black bear playing tetherball well, and decided to make a video, which ended up going viral once it was posted online.
"It was crazy, I couldn't believe it," Fleming told NBC.
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LG's story is one that nearly didn't happen. Animal rescuers found the 2-year-old black bear in the freezing cold by Mount Rose Highway in Nevada in November of 2010, according to their website. He weighed only 14 pounds— much lighter than the average bear for his age, which usually weighs anywhere from 60 to 100 pounds in the winter.
"The cub would not have lasted another night by itself," the sanctuary website reads.
LG, which stands for "little girl," bears signs of its near-death experience. During its first veterinarian exam, the tops of the bear's ears fell off, frozen from frostbite. They also found that their initial designation for the animal made little sense, as LG is a male. The name still stuck, though.
The tetherball-playing bear's recovery has been a bumpy one, but LG is doing much better.
Now that the video of LG's skills has gone viral, Fleming says he hopes the publicity helps the Animal Ark. To donate to the wildlife sanctuary, click here.
