GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WATE) — An injured bear cub found on the side of the road near Townsend by a driver on Sunday was euthanized, according to the Appalachian Bear Rescue.

ABR said it was notified that the bear had been found Sunday afternoon. The driver saw the small injured bear on the side of the road while driving through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, picked it up and took it to the Sugarlands Visitor Center.

The bear was taken to the wildlife maintenance building and then placed in a trap to keep both the cub and people safe. ABR says curators drove to pick up the cub during a storm and then took it to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine.

Veterinary staff discovered the 7-month-old cub weighed only 11 pounds and had serious wounds to his front legs and left shoulder blade, ABR said. He also was not using his back legs, although radiology showed no broken bones or clear causes for that. According to ABR, they learned that the wound on the cub’s leg was severely infected and had spread into his wrist joint and foot.

The doctors advised the rescue that the only humane option for the cub was to euthanize him, which was done after ABR received permission from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Because he was rescued during a thunderstorm, ABR decided to name the cub “Thor Bear.”

“Though he never made it to the Appalachian Bear Rescue facility, Thor was one of ours. Rest in peace, little bear” ABR wrote.

While Thor Bear may have never gotten to ABR, the rescue says it will keep his memory alive by offering other little bears the second chance that Thor didn’t get.

Currently, the Appalachian Bear Rescue has 14 other cubs: Doodlebug, Tater, Nugget, Turnip, Cricket, Sprout, Carmel, Puddin’, Thumper, Flapjack, Tamale, Burrito, Martha Washington, and Betsy Ross Bears. For more information or to donate to ABR, visit their website at www.appalachianbearrescue.org.