The Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation says it has rescued a black bear cub, found alone and starving near Barrhead, Alta., and is working to nurse it back to health before releasing it back into the wild.
The AIWC, located northwest of Calgary, says when the cub was discovered, it weighed just 15 kilograms (about 33 pounds) and was about one-third the size of a healthy cub of the same age.
It was brought into the centre by Alberta Environment and Parks on Dec. 9.
AIWC staff say they suspect the cub’s mother had been killed and without her help it was unable to gain the necessary weight to go into hibernation.
To prevent the bear from going into shock (called refeeding syndrome), staff are slowly reintroducing her to food, starting with things like eggs and eventually meats, fruits and vegetables.
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The AIWC says, due to its poor health, it’s unlikely the cub will be able to hibernate and instead will take several months to regain enough wait so it can be returned to the wild, expected to take place in June 2025.
The centre is also making a plea to the public for donations to help with the cub’s care and information is available on the AIWC website.
In August the AIWC opened a new bear enclosure, called the Bear Den, to help with the rearing of orphaned bears before they could be returned to the wild.
The government of Alberta’s ‘orphan black bear rehabilitation’ policy recommends that anyone who sees a bear cub without its mother leave it alone because “mothers will often leave their young for periods of time to search for food or secure habitat – and the mother may be nearby” even if they can’t be seen.
If a person sees a cub, believed to be an orphan, they are advised to call their local fish and wildlife officer.
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