**Diary Entry 12th October**
I was driving back home along the familiar country road near Dartmoor. Its usually quiet therehardly any cars, just endless woods and crisp, clean air. The day had been utterly ordinary, with no hint of the strange encounter ahead.
Then, out of nowhere, I spotted something dark at the roadside. As I got closer, my breath caughtit was a bear. A full-grown female, sitting on her haunches, waving a paw at me as if trying to get my attention.
At first, I thought she mightve escaped from a wildlife park or wandered too far from the moors. My heart pounded, and instinct screamed at me to hit the accelerator and leave. But something oddsomething unsettlingmade me hesitate.
I stopped the car. Slowly, the bear rose and ambled towards the treeline, glancing back now and then, as if expecting me to follow. Curiosity, or maybe some deeper pull, stopped me from driving away.
A few metres into the woods, where the trees thinned slightly, I saw the reason. A cub was thrashing, a plastic jar wedged tightly over its head. It shook desperately, but the thing wouldnt budge.
Suddenly, it made senseshe hadnt been threatening me. Shed been asking for help.
Moving carefully to avoid provoking her, I approached the cub and gently worked the jar free. The mother bear hurried over, nuzzling and licking her little one before guiding him back into the undergrowth.
Before disappearing, she paused, turning to look at me one last time. There was something in her gazegratitude, perhaps?
I stood there, catching my breath, then hurried back to the car and drove home in silence. That momentIll remember it forever.
