Wondering where Blue the Bear and her cubs went?
A carving in an old oak tree residing in Blue Ridge’s downtown park, Blue and her cubs were royalty.
They were removed in 2016 after suffering severe termite damage.
“You could take your finger and stick it through the tree,” Mayor Donna Whitener said.
Adding to the problems, the bear and her cubs were damaged during a March 10, 2016 park renovation.
When taking the carving down, city workers damaged the piece, then when attempting to load it on a wrecker, it faced even more damage.
Originally, the city had hoped to repare and relocate her and the cubs, but were unable to given the state the bears were in.
Fast forward to today, and the park will now be home to a new creature, a trout.
The trout was approved this past October as a partnership between the City of Blue Ridge and Trout Unlimited.
The project is being completed by Saw Artist Kary W. Kaley, Jr. out of Fairburn, Georgia.
Totaling $3,750, a $1,500 deposit was paid for by Trout Unlimited and the remainder will be paid by the City of Blue Ridge.