A small bear, probably separated from its mother and seeking shelter, wandered into a Campbell River home through a cat door on Tuesday.
A small bear, probably separated from its mother and seeking shelter, wandered into a Campbell River home through a cat door on Tuesday.
The little one was rescued by the Conservation Service and taken to the North Island Wildlife Rehabilitation Center near Erington, where he receives food and care and will be a candidate for release in a year, said Robin Campbell, a bear specialist at the center.
The boy weighs 13.8 pounds and is believed to have been born in January or February in a den during hibernation, Campbell said.
Conservation officers were not available for comment.
Campbell said there were no signs of a mother bear in the area.
He said the sex of the baby has not yet been determined and the baby has not been thoroughly checked because caregivers do not want to add additional stress so early after capture.
“She looks good physically and eating from a bowl, we just need some time to get used to where she is,” Campbell said. “As you can imagine, now it’s pretty weird for the little one and he’s very afraid of people. Moving from his mother to capture is a real challenge for any little bear. “
Campbell said rescuing a young child from home was “definitely the first” for the North Island Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, which has seen hundreds of black bears for 30 years.
In most cases, the mother was killed, Campbell said. “There’s always a sad reason.”
So, what do you feed a young baby?
A formula for bear’s milk, he said, along with apple sauce, cottage cheese, yogurt, pablo, some puppy food and a mixture of sardines and water. In a few weeks, fruits and vegetables will be added to his diet.
“Right now, we’re just trying to settle [the cub’s] “It’s going to be a long journey for this little boy.”
The boy, who is currently in solitary confinement, will be raised in the recovery center for about a year, going through several stages and pens, and will eventually be an area where he builds his own lair and hibernates.
Campbell said the baby would then be released back into the Campbell River area, where there are similar “bear blood” lines.
Later this month, the center plans to release six small black bears that have been bred at the center since last year. They are equipped with collars with information about each one so that they can be traced to adulthood.
Campbell expects more cubs to be delivered to the recovery center this spring and summer as humans and bears come into contact.
Conservationists remind people to secure their garbage and recyclable materials indoors and to make sure other attractions such as fruit and pet food are not missed, so bears have no reason to stay in urban areas.
Campbell estimates that there are about 7,000 polar bears on the island.
The black bear on Vancouver Island is one of the six subspecies in BC. and is darker and slightly larger than its brethren.
dkloster@timescolonist.com
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