Cubs OK
Cubs arrive at Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter – photo courtesy Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter
Prince George, B.C. – Two orphaned black bear cubs seem to be ok says Angelika Langen of the Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter in Smithers.
The pair, a female and male, arrived at the shelter in the wee hours of this morning.
The cubs’ mother had been euthanized in Prince George yesterday by Conservation Officers after she attacked a 46 year old man who had been walking his dog in the Forests for the World area near UNBC yesterday afternoon. The man remains in hospital.
“The cubs arrived around 1:30 this morning” says Langen. Both cubs had been tranquilized and prepped for the drive to Smithers. “Our highway angels over at Bandstra (trucking) made space for the cubs and delivered them to us” says Langen.
Langen says the cubs were just starting to wake up when they arrived “We have been busy checking them over as they both took quite a tumble out of the tree they were in and there is always a concern they may have injured themselves from such a fall. But both seem to be ok.”
The Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter provides a temporary home for orphaned or injured animals until they are well enough, or old enough, to be released back into the wild.
Comments
‘They may have injured themselves from such a fall”….what’s wrong with that sentence? They injured themselves, really?
I know these Cubs are in fantastic hands with Angelika at The Northern Lights Wildlife Sanctuary but if people would be more bear aware and take precautions when they venture into the forest, this could well have been avoided.
“if people would be more bear aware and take precautions when they venture into the forest, this could well have been avoided”
=========================
Why do you say that? Based on the account I read, the man who was attacked was going for a run up at Forests for the World and he came upon the bear and cubs very suddenly and without any warning that they were there. It sounded like they were in the bush just off the side of the road/trail and the mother bear charged him immediately as he came upon them. It sounds like they completely surprised each other and the sow just reacted (understandably so). Other than not being in the forest, I’m not sure what could have been done to avoid this encounter.
Incidentally, this type of scenario is not uncommon when it comes to bear attacks. You don’t always get the chance to make ample noise, to see the mother and cubs off in the distance and back away, or notice any signs that a bear is in the area. So long as people venture into the forest, there are going to be times when encounters like this occur, despite best and well planned intentions to not have it happen.
Not saying this happened but far too often a dog will chase after a animal & when the mother defends her young the dog will run back to it’s owner & then all hell breaks loose. this is especally true when it comes to moose or bear. if in the woods it’s wise to keep dogs on a leash.
And wise to keep dogs on leash in areas where is states to keep them on leash. The blatant disregard that people have for this is unreal. Go somewhere that has no leash requirements if that is what you want.
HEY SKI the dog wasn’t chasing the bear, the guy surprised it when he was running. IN actuality the dog probably saved his life!! You had better run-a-long and get yourself a canine companion.
I have seen runners on the trails making no noise to warn a bear. That bear did what is natural and gets blown away. Runners and bike riders make noise or stay off the trails. Give a thought to the wild life.
That runner is responsible for the bears death.
This story has a lot more details about the bear attack.
www .cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/dog-defends-owner-bear-attack-bc-1.3587460
MOM should have been okay as well….
that will teach her for trying to protect her cubs while man was entering her domain.
I hear this all the time, that “man was entering their domain”.
What makes it their domain and not ours? How much noise is enough to make? When are people allowed to interact with nature and when are they not? Can we go into the bush on odd days only? Do the bears know that they only have dibs on even days? It was a trail network in the City of Prince George. I would argue that it’s the domain of both humans and animals, but primarily humans. Humans count too, don’t they? There is, after all, 75,000 people living there.
From a pure safety perspective, I think it’s absurd to think that a bear that recently attacked a human being within city limits should not be put down. It’s a heavily used area, and the bear has no more inherent “rights” to roam a well used forested area within the city than humans do.
It’s funny how people will scream for a dog to be put down after it causes a minor flesh wound on someone, but if a bear does something far worse it’s somehow different? IMHO It’s a public safety issue, pure and simple. It’s not like we’re talking about an attack that took place in the middle of the Spatsizi . . .
Bears have co-exisited with people in PG forever. The vast majority of the time the interactions result in no issues and everyone goes on their way. That is the ideal situation. If, however, people are put in harms way due to a bear, they have to come first.
That said, if people are doing stupid things to harass or endanger the lives of wild animals, then they need to be held accountable. It’s a two way street.
animals were there long before we were and we are pushing them away and forcing our way in and if they get in the way….
they die needlessly
like it or not, that is fact
but I think your mind is already made up,,,
fair enough…
we don’t agree
Too funny everyone is now an expert on bear behaviour. Get out from behind your key board on go for a walk in bear country. I would sure borrow that fellow’s dog though, he’s a keeper. Or, just comment on the city politics??
Comments for this article are closed.