B.C. man who befriended blind bear cub sad that it had to be put down

They look like photos of a man out for a stroll with his beloved pet bear, but tell a much sadder story. Photos posted to social media earlier this month show Eric Volpatti, a volunteer firefighter in the West Kootenay village of Montrose, interacting with a black bear cub in his front yard and holding it by a red dog leash. The cub was blind, motherless and in poor health, however, and had to be euthanized.