I FOUND A MAMMAL NOW WHAT?

Baby mammals (ESPECIALLY FAWNS) often appear to be orphaned when in fact they are not. Many species of mammals will leave their babies safely hidden while they are out searching for food (UP TO EIGHT HOURS WITH DEER). If you suspect a baby mammal is orphaned, patiently observe it to ensure it needs help.

A baby animal's best chance for survival is to be raised by its natural parents. It is imperative that you make every effort to reunite the parents with their children before considering removing the orphan from the wild.

Remember that the parents WILL NOT reject their babies just because you have touched them. They may, however, abandon the babies if you remain too close or keep them away too long.

Since 2003 Critter Care has successfully rehabbed and released over 60 Black Bear cubs back into the wild and will, in all likelihood, increase that number to more than 100 over the next two years! We see this as critically important to the environment as Black Bears though stable in numbers in British Columbia are now threatened or extinct in many parts of North America that they were once considered "stable". While in our care the cubs are kept in strict isolation with only primary caregivers allowed to feed and clean them on a daily basis. As a result the risk of habituation is greatly reduced and typically when the bears come out of hibernation a "metamorphosis" of sorts has taken place and they no longer even care for the proximity of their caregivers. 

At Critter Care we see enrichment as important a part of Wildlife rehabilitation as having the right formula and medicines to feed and treat our animals.  We ensure that all of our animals are not only transitioned through a series of age appropriate cages, but also have a fulfilling environment based largely on their Natural History.  All of our animals receive large portions of natural feeds including skunk cabbage for our bears in the spring and lots of leafy greens to restart their digestive systems after a long winters hibernation.  Otters are fed a variety of fish and meat sources and are also provided with live trout to encourage their hunting instincts which candidly needs little  motivation.  We harvest large amounts of slugs and earthworms for the raccoons and place them in hide boxes and containers for them encouraging foraging and tactile stimulus with their hands.  

RASCAL – DeRoche

Rascal arrived at Critter Care’s doors on June 9, 2011 from DeRoche. No one is sure what happened to his mom, but one day he showed up in a gentleman’s yard. For three days Rascal lived in the yard, sleeping under the windowsill, and nibbling on grass with no mom in sight. Concerned about the little cub the gentleman walked up to Rascal, picked him up, placed him in a kennel, and then called the Conservation Officers Service, who then directed him to Critter Care.

Rascal arrived weighing in at an emaciated 7lbs. He was immediately given a dish of special bear milk that he quickly ate up. A quick trip to the vet gave Rascal a clean bill of health – all he needed was food and a safe place to grow up, which is exactly what he was going to get!

Rascal, earned his name because he loves to find and create mischief. Everything quickly became a toy (especially if it wasn’t a toy), thoroughly investigated, and destroyed. He is a big bear in a little, itty bitty body.

After having 16 bears last year, Rascal is the only bear cub currently in care. Being alone, however, hasn’t dampened this little bear’s spirits. He loves to play on his tire swing, his many hanging toys, and his three pet goldfish...

KODY, KARSTEN, and KEETON – Anmore

On the morning of August 8, 2011, the lives of three cubs, and a town were about to be changed forever. While walking his dog near Buntzen Lake, Ken Hogue, unknowingly came between a mother bear and her three cubs. Wanting to defend her cubs, the mother charged the man – knocking him down and then standing over him. This mother bear then decided that scaring Ken was enough and walked away, but Ken’s dog decided to run after the bear – which only caused her to come charging back. A car was driving by and managed to spook the mother bear. Not long after, the RCMP arrived and shot the mother bear – leaving her three cubs orphaned.  The real tragedy though, is not just this incident that cost this mother bear her life, but her history. This particular mother bear and her cubs were well known in the community of Anmore. They would often be seen in people’s backyards, and cruising down the streets – eating the garbage so carelessly left out for her and her cubs. Bears are motivated by food – from the time they come out of hibernation till the time they go in – it is all about eating as much food as possible. The easier the food is to find, the better it is, and in Anmore there was a buffet of easy food to feed her and her cubs.  These bears would have never been so close to people and their pets if they had not been eating garbage that morning.

The three brothers, now orphaned, took refuge in a tree, unsure of what their future would be. Conservation Officer James Kelly located the cubs in their tree, and him and the other officers on the scene sedated the cubs for transport to Critter Care. All three cubs weighed in at 39lbs. Conservation Officer Cody Ambrose named one of the cubs Kody, and an RCMP officer named the second cub Karsten, the third cub , a little brown one, was named Keeton by Critter Care staff. All three cubs were scared and desperately huddled together. They just wanted to be with each other.

During their first day at Critter care, the cubs mainly slept in one big bear pile. By the next day they were exploring more, and by the third day they were eating and starting to play. They were then introduced to our other bear Rascal and allowed into the main enclosure. It took the bears a couple of days to get used to each other, but they were soon playing and doing bear things as a gang of four. The bond between the ‘Anmore triplets’ as they are referred to, is strong. The brothers always have to know where the other is, and can be heard calling to each other if one is in another den box or is hiding.  Kody is the goofy one – always being clumsy and cute, and the first to make new friends, Keeton is always the first to find the food, and Karsten is the wise one – always watching out for danger.  In the spring all three cubs will be returned to the wild – far away from humans and their garbage.

As a result of the August 8th incident, Buntzen Lake installed bear proof dumpsters. The city of Anmore has changed its garbage laws, and has voted to take steps to become a bear aware community -hopefully saving the lives of many other bears.

SHADE – Port Coquitlam

No one is quite sure how Shade got separated from his mom and sibling. On the morning of August 23 Shade was spotted just resting in the shade not that far from the highway with no mom in sight. An RCMP officer kept watch over the cub as a Conservation Officer headed out to the area. The cub seemed very relaxed and content to just watch what was going on from his nice shady spot. Once the conservation officer arrived he sedated Shade, who decided to climb a tree and fall asleep in it. So with the help of a very tall ladder, Shade was taken out of the tree and carried to the culvert trap for transport to Critter Care. Conservation Officer Denny, who brought him in, named the little male cub Shade, because of the cub’s love of lounging in the shade.

Shade weighed in at just 32lbs. He is smaller than the other four bears currently at Critter Care, but we know he will catch up soon. After spending a few days in isolation, Shade was moved into the enclosure with Rascal, Kody, Keeton, and Karsten. When he was first introduced, Kody and then Karsten went over to say hi, but Shade didn’t want anything to do with them. Shade is still unsure of his four big brothers, but in time they will become the best of friends. For now he mainly stays in his part of the enclosure, or he can be found living up to his name – lounging in the shadiest part of the enclosure just watching the other bears.

ROSE, KIRA, and KAYMONA – Coquitlam

On the morning of October 12 a mother bear and her three cubs were attracted to an unsecured dumpster near a school. While eating garbage two of the cubs became trapped in the dumpster and began to cry. Conservation Officers arrived on the scene and quickly located and sedated mom and one cub. Once mom and one of the cubs were in a trap they were able to sedate the two cubs in the dumpster. The decision was made to euthanize the mom, as she had been getting into peoples garbage for the last month, and bring all three cubs to Critter Care.

The triplets, all girls, arrived at Critter Care still under sedation. All three were given full exams and were found to be in excellent condition. Once awake the girls began to test the cage to see if they could get out, and once that failed, bawled at the top of their lungs for their mother. Mom would not be coming though.

After 48hours in isolation, the sisters, named Kira, Rose, and Kaymona, were allowed into the main bear enclosure of our second bear pen. Kira, Rose, and Kaymona always hide when they hear their caretakers coming, which is exactly what we want them to do. They now share their enclosure with two other bears – Sabbath from North Vancouver, and Jeanette from Whistler. The triplets are still getting to know their new den mates, and are still settling into their new temporary home. In the next 6 weeks the girls will begin to hibernate for the winter, and then in the spring they will be released back into the wild.
 

SABBATH – North Vancouver

Sabbath arrived on the evening of October 16. Earlier in the day a bear was reported near the waterfront in North Vancouver. When Conservation Officer Dave Cox arrived on the scene, he did not expect to find a tiny bear cub tipping over trashcans in search of food. After a quick sweep of the area determined there was no mother bear around, he quickly captured the little bear and placed him in a kennel. Sabbath was on his way to Critter Care.

Sabbath weighed in at only 34lbs. He would have not survived the winter by himself. However, where Sabbath was lacking in size, he made up for in attitude. When bear caretaker Angela Fontana tried to give little Sabbath food for the first time, he barely let her put it down before he stated to eat everything in sight. Sabbath now had what he desperately needed, lots of good food and a nice warm place to sleep. 

After four days in isolation, Sabbath was allowed into the main enclosure with the Coquitlam triplets, Kira, Rose, and Kaymona. Even though the girls were three times the size of Sabbath, he quickly asserted himself and had the girls hiding from him.

Sabbath has grown quite a bit in his short time with us. He still has a bit of catching up to do, but he will hibernate with his new friends before being released in the spring.

JEANETTE – Whistler

Jeanette is the daughter of Whsitler's iconic bear Jeanie. Jeanie lived for the past 20 years on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, but she had a bad habit of often seeking food in Whistler Village. Over the years Conservation Officers were able to manage Jeanie and her bad habit. However with the bad food year, and Jeanie's increasing age she was driven off her normal feeding areas by younger bears and forced to look to the village for food. The taste for human garbage would be Jeanie's downfall. On the evening of October 20, after two weeks of break-ins to various restaurants and a number of encounters in the village, Jeanie was trapped and euthanized by Conservation Officers and Jeanette was brought to Critter Care.

Jeanette weighed in at 59lbs and was in excellent condition. She settled quietly in her shed for the night, but the next morning she spent an hour desperately trying to find a way out of the enclosure. When that failed, Jeanette decided to bawl at the top of her lungs. Normally this would get mom to come running, but mom would not be coming this time. Jeanette would stop crying and investigate her new home, but then she realized there were other bears just beyond the fence. Whenever Jeanette saw the other bears she would start crying again and look longingly at them. Knowing that Jeanette desperately wanted to be in with the other bears we let her in earlier then was planned.

Jeanette quickly made friends with the Coquitlam girls – Kira, Rose, and Kaymona, but is still very timid around little Sabbath. She is settling into her new temporary home.  Jeanette will stay at Critter Care until her eventually release in the spring.

MAX –Squamish

Max arrived at Critter Care on the evening of November 4, as a feisty furball in a trap. He had been wandering around on his own for the past two months, finding food wherever he could. Max was never seen with a mother bear so it is unknown how he lost her.  He weighed in at a healthy 60lbs, and was named by Critter Care’s executive director Gail Martin.
Max spent the first few days at Critter Care in isolation, where he quickly settled into his new surroundings, but never lost the attitude.  He is now sharing the enclosure with Rose, Kira, Kaymona, Jeanette, Sabbath, and Simon.  Our second and third bear enclosures are attached so we have opened them up for the bears to move freely between the two sides.
Max is still not sure of all these new bears. He insist that he doesn’t need any friends and is fine on his own, but we know better. Eventually they will settle down and begin playing, eating, and sleeping together.  Max will hibernate here at Critter Care and then be released in the Spring.

SIMON – Burnaby

Simon arrived on November 5 from the Simon Fraser University campus. Critter Care began receiving many calls about this little bear on November 4, but he had been scrounging for food on campus for the past two weeks. His favorite thing to eat was everyone’s Jack-O-Lanterns. On November 5, Conservation Officers were finally able to capture the little guy and brought him to Critter Care. Simon weighed in at 40lbs, and it is believed he was orphaned after his mother was hit by a car. His rescuers at Simon Fraser University named the little bear Simon.
After spending a few days in our third bear enclosure, which is connected to our second bear enclosure, the door separating the two enclosures was opened allowing Simon to interact with Rose, Kira, Kaymona, Sabbath, Jeanette, and Max. Simon still mainly sticks to his side of the enclosure, but is tolerant of the other bears just a bit unsure of most of them. Simon is comfortable with the mellow Kira and Rose, but petrified of the more dominant Jeanette, and he dutifully avoids the unsociable Max. All of this will eventually pass though; cubs always work it out and become comfortable with each other.
Simon will spend the winter at Critter Care – hibernating with the other bears before being released in the spring.

KALA - Chilliwack

Kala arrived on the evening of November 9 from Chilliwack after her mother was hit by a car. On the morning of November 9 Kala’s mother was struck and killed by a car. Kala climbed the nearest tree and stayed there; no doubt wondering why her mother was not moving. Conservation Officers arrived later that day and were able to capture Kala and transported her to Critter Care. Kala weighed in at a healthy 55lbs, and had a minor injury on her paw.
The first few days Kala spent in her shed sleeping. She seemed very depressed and had very sad eyes. Kala knew that her mother was dead and she was missing her. Now that Kala has been moved into the isolation section of the bear enclosure where she can see the other bears she is much calmer and is settling down.  Her paw is healing and Kala is no longer walking stiffly on it. A week after her arrival Kala is ready to move in with Max, Simon, Jeanette, Sabbath, Kira, Rose, and Kaymona, and with Kala’s sweet nature she will make fast friends.

Apples – West Vancouver

Apples arrived on November 14, weighing 27lbs, from West Vancouver. For a few days Apples was spotted eating the late apples on apple trees in a West Vancouver neighborhood. Concerned residents and members of the North Shore Black Bear Society kept a close eye out for the little bear in hopes to capture him. The first time Conservation Officers tried to catch the little guy, he took off as soon as the Officer arrived. The next day however, Conservation Officers were able to capture Apples and he was on his way to Critter Care, those who helped rescue Apples gave him his name.
Apples arrived - as most orphaned cubs who have been living on their own do - full of attitude! It didn’t take long for Apples to settle down. How could he resist a nice warm place to sleep, and lots of food to fill his little belly?
After a week in one of our smaller enclosures, Apples was ready to move into a bear enclosure with Simon, a cub from Burnaby. The two boys are still shy of each other and spend most of their time in separate dens. Slowly but surely the two boys are getting to know each other, and it won’t be long before they become the best of friends.  Apples will not hibernate this winter, instead he will continue to eat and grow.

Mick – North Vancouver

Mick arrived in the late afternoon on November 24 from North Vancouver. Concerned residents and members of the North Shore Black Bear Society had been working weeks to locate Mick and have the Conservation Officers bring him to Critter Care. Mick’s capture was a difficult one and this 19lb bear cub had the odds stacked against him.
When Mick arrived at Critter Care he had been oversedated, suffered from a fall out of a tree during his capture, and was hypothermic. Staff quickly rushed to get him warm, and once his temperature came up they could give him much needed fluids. Mick was under constant watch, bears are tough guys and can usually pull through, but it would not be the case for Mick.
Eight hours after coming in Mick lost his fight to live. Senior Animal Care Supervisor Angela Fontana checked on Mick at midnight and noticed that he was not doing well. She put him on oxygen and made sure that the electric blanket was snugly wrapped around him. A few minutes later Mick would pass on.
Executive Director Gail Martin has a saying "the ones we lose are the ones we love the most". This has perhaps never rung more true. The only consolation was that Mick, was warm, safe, and not alone. Angela had little Mick on her lap, and quietly whispered to him of the wonderful place he was going – the great big forest in the sky – and how he would never be hungry, he would always be warm, have other bears to play with and do bear things with, and how he would always be safe and loved.

Corky – Sechelt

Corky is our sixteenth bear and arrived from Sechelt on November 25, weighing in at 45lbs. Corky and another orphaned cub had been seen wandering around, with no mother in search of food. Conservation Officer Murray Smith was able to trap Corky. However with bad weather preventing the ferries from running, Corky spent two more days in Seachelt before finally arriving at Critter Care.
Corky was in good condition, but small and feisty. He quickly devoured all the food given him and his displeasure at having us pesky humans near. After a few days in isolation Corky was moved into our fawn pen that is now serving as our fourth bear enclosure. Corky shares his pen with another orphaned bear named Tim. Corky is happily eating all the food in sight, showing his absolute dislike of us, and bossing around Tim.

Tim – Hope

Tim arrived from Hope on the evening of November 26 weighing 45lbs. Tim was orphaned after his mom and sibling were hit by a train. Tim would spend the next few weeks wondering around the Hope area before taking up residence near a group of houses. The first time Conservation Officers showed up to try and catch the cub, he was already gone and they were unable to follow his footprints in the bush. A few days later Conservation Officer Cody Ambrose went out to try and catch Tim, but as soon as Cody pulled up Tim took off. The next day Cody went back and was finally able to capture Tim.
It didn’t take long for Tim to settle in to his new home at Critter Care. With all this good food how could he resist? He now shares the large enclosure with Corky from Seachlet. Tim is very wary of Corky and prefers to stay in his den out of Corky’s way.

Charlie – Sechelt

With Charlie’s arrival on November 30 a new record for bear cubs has been set. Charlie is bear number eighteen on the year! Charlie weighed in at 34lbs. When he arrived at the centre Charlie was heavily sedated and ice cold. This is not a good combination.  Staff quickly rushed to warm Charlie up, and he was placed on oxygen to help him recover from the sedation. Once warm enough, Charlie was also given IV fluids. Five hours later Charlie was up and about and happily drank an electrolyte solution.  
The next day, with Charlie eating, drinking, and maintaining his temperature he was moved from a kennel into a nice warm shed. It is believed that Charlie is Corky’s brother as the two cubs had been seen together around Sechelt. Charlie is a lot sweeter (and cuter, but don’t tell Corky that!) than his brother. Eventually Charlie will move into the enclosure with Corky and Tim. For now, however, Charlie will stay in his small enclosure until he is strong enough to join the others. We are sure that if Corky and Charlie are brothers they will be happy to see each other, and if they aren’t related then we are sure Charlie will be happy to have bear friends.

Higgins – Port Alberni

Higgins arrived on June 11, 2010 from the Sunshine Coast, and was our first cub of the year. He was estimated to be 12 weeks old and weighed only 11lbs. A kind lady had spotted him in her back yard licking the crumbs out of her chicken feed trough. Concerned, because there was no mom around, she grabbed a kennel, put some food in it, and the little cub walked right in. The Conservation Officers were called and it was determined that the cub was indeed orphaned. Higgins was then flown by Pacific Coastal Airlines, free of charge, to Vancouver’s South Terminal where he was picked up by Critter Care Staff. Higgins settled into his new home well. He is a very outgoing cub, and always the first to welcome new cubs.

Unfortunately, Higgins died on August 14, 2010. Something had always seemed off about Higgins, he was not quite like the other bears, but all previous vet trips had not pointed to any medical problems. Higgins awkwardness did not go away as he aged. With concerns about Higgins health, blood work was done in early August. A few days later Higgins had what we believed was a stroke that left him paralyzed. When the blood work came back it reveled that Higgins had a rare and unusual blood disorder. His ashes were spread around Critter Care so that he may watch over all of our bears.

Holly – Maple Ridge

Holly arrived on June 14, 2010 from the Ruskin area of Maple Ridge weighing 18lbs. Holly’s mom had been hit by a car. The little cub then took up residence in the neighborhood. Worried about the cub, the neighborhood kept a close eye out, and constantly relayed her location to the other neighbors, Critter Care, and Conservation Officers. Finally, she was caught, and Critter Care staff went to pick her up. The whole neighborhood was overjoyed that Holly would now be safe and taken care off.

Holly was introduced to Higgins and the two quickly took comfort in each other’s company. When other bears were introduced to the group, Holly, being the oldest, played big sister. She looked after the other cubs, and always broke up any scuffles. Holly’s best pal is Ruth, a bear from North Vancouver, and the two of them are inseparable. Holly, like most bears, is very curious.

Ruth – North Vancouver

Ruth arrived on June 18, 2010 from Cypress Mountain. She was 10 weeks old and weighed a mere 9lbs. Ruth’s mom was hit by a car on the evening of June 16. The next morning, when the concerned driver went to check to see if the bear was okay, he found her body with two distressed cubs clinging to her. The Conservation Officers and Park Rangers were immediately called. When they arrived, one of the cubs ran off, but the Conservation Officers were able to grab Ruth. Ruth was kept in a kennel at the Ranger Station for the next 24 hours, while attempts were made to capture her sibling. Unfortunately, despite their efforts, her sibling was never caught, and Ruth was transported to Critter Care.

Ruth was introduced to Holly and Higgins not long after her arrival. She was scared and lonely after losing both her mother and sibling. Ruth, was the smallest of the three cubs, but the bossiest. She didn’t let the others intimidate her. Eventually, Ruth and Holly formed a sisterly bond and the two have become inseparable. With age Ruth has lost her bossiness and has turned into a very watchful,curious, and charismatic little girl.

Rae - Whistler

Rae arrived on August 6 from Whistler weighing 30lbs. Rae's mom was a problem bear, getting into improperly secured garbages and other attractants. On the morning of August 6, Rae's mom broke into a house after human food. Conservation Officers were called to the scene, and as Rae's mom was a repeat offender, they were forced to humanly euthanize her. Rae was then transported to Critter Care, where she was integrated into a group with Holly, Ruth, and Higgins.

Rae is a very cautious bear, especially around people. She is good friends with Holly and Ruth, but Ronin is the bear that she is the closest too. Rae always lets Holly and Ruth explore new things first, then Rae investigates, and then she lets Ronin know its okay so he can come over too.

Ronin - Pemberton
    
Ronin arrived on the evening of September 23 from Pemberton weighing 60lbs. It is unknown what happened to Ronin's mother. Conservation Officers had received reports of a solo cub in the area, and set a trap. Ronin was caught in the trap, unsure if he was the orphaned cub, he was left in the trap to see if mom would come. Mom never showed up, and Conservation Officers are unsure what happened to her.

Ronin was put with Ruth, Holly, and Rae. When he first met the girls, Ronin wanted nothing more then to be with them. The girls, however, were very unsure about him. Ronin followed behind the girls, hoping that they would accept him. His persistance paid off. Holly and Ruth were playing with him after a day, but Rae would take more persuading. Ronin was determined to get Rae to like him. Now Rae and Ronin are always together, and constantly look out for one another. Ronin is they shy one of the group. He tends to hide and wait for Rae to let him know that is safe to come out.

Alice- Chilliwack

Alice arrived on the evening of September 26 weighing only 35lbs. Alice had spent the day in a tree in someones yard. Conservation Officers are unsure how she lost her mom. Because we were still in the process of integrating Ronin, and because Alice was much smaller then the other cubs, she was put in our second bear cage.

Alice is an extremely shy bear. She always remains hidden when her caregivers are around. Alice tends to keep to herself, and does not play with her den mates often. Instead Alice prefers to watch them play and keep an eye out for danger, much like a mother bear.

Atayokan - North Vancouver

Atayokan was picked up from Conservation Officers on the evening of October 1. He arrived weighing only 20lbs. Atayokan was underweight and malnourished after attempting to survive on his own. Atayokan, with his mom and sibling, had been relocated early in the year by Conservation Officers. When the mother showed up again, she had only one cub. Conservation Officers believed that the other cub, Atayokan, had died. Two weeks after having relocated the mother bear and her single cub, Atayokan showed up, and was recognized as the missing cub.

When Atayokan first arrived he was kept indoors in isolation and fed often. He quickly gobbled up every bit of food given to him. It didn’t take him long to gain weight and be ready to join Alice and Mahalo outside. He was given the name Atayokan, because it means spirited in Cree. He is a very laid back and calm cub, who loves to share with his pals.

Mahalo – Port Coquitlam

Mahalo arrived on October 2, after having gotten separated from her mom and sibling. Mahalo, her sibling, and her mom, had all been relocated because the family had been getting into improperly secured garbage. A few weeks later Mahalo started showing up by herself in the neighborhoods of Port Coquitlam. Conservation Officers wanted to try and reunite the cub with her family, but after a week there were still no reports of mom and Mahalo was now getting into garbage. She was trapped and brought to Critter Care. Mahalo weighed 50lbs and was in good condition.

Mahalo was introduced to Alice, and after a few days of working out there differences became good friends. Mahalo is a cautious, loving, and curious bear. When little Atayokan was introduced to the group, Mahalo immediately welcomed him, and took him under her wings. The two of them are now the best of friends, and can often be seen playing or simply lounging around enjoying each others company. Mahalo's name is Hawaiian and means 'giving thanks'.

Kagona - Pemberton

Kagona arrived on the evening of October 26, weighing 40lbs. Kagona, her sibling, and her mom, had all been relocated because the family had been getting into improperly secured garbage. Kagona got seperated from her mom and sibling and started hanging around people and their garbage again. With no sign of mom, Conservation Officers caught and transported her to Critter Care.

Kagona was introduced to Alice, Mahalo, and Atayokan. She has made friends with Mahalo and Atayokan, but is still unsure of the larger Alice. Kagona is very wary of people and has a strong personality. Atayokan has developed a bit of a crush on Kagona, as he always lets her get the best bits of food. When not playing with Mahalo or Atayokan, Kagona prefers to sleep on the roof of her shed. Kagona's name is Algonquin for Hope.

Boris - Mission

Boris arrived on October 27, weighing 21lbs. He had been spotted at a construction site on the Loughead Highway. Concerned, the workers contacted us at Critter Care. The Conservation Officers were called by Critter Care Staff, while the workers kept an eye on the cub. Little Boris was scared by all the noise and decided to cross the highway. Thankfully the workers were able to get traffic on both sides of the Highway stopped, and Boris crossed safely. A few hours later Boris was caught by Conservation Officers and transported to Critter Care.

Boris was in good condition, but very small. He was kept inside in isolation for a couple of days before being moved outside. He is still in the process of being integrated in with Alice, Mahalo, Atayokan, and Kagona. Boris is a very sweet and cautious little boy. Mahalo has already made attempts to 'adopt' Boris, but he is still unsure of the much larger Mahalo. So Mahalo patiently waits for Boris to come over, and caregivers know it won't be long before Boris becomes comfortable. Especially with the sweet Mahalo doting on him.

 

Anana – Maple Ridge

Anana arrived on November 28, 2010 from Maple Ridge. The previous day she had shown up behind the Billy Miner Pub. The staff at the pub were concerned because there was no mom in sight so they gave Critter Care a call. Unfortunately there were no Conservation Officers that could go out to retrieve the cub. The pub promised they would give Critter Care a call if they saw her again. Sure enough, the next day Anana returned to the pub, and climbed a tree. The situation was perfect to safely capture the cub. Conservation Officers headed out quickly, and within an hour Anana was on her way to Critter Care.

Anana arrived in very poor condition. She was a mere 20 lbs, which means that Anana would not have survived the winter. As staff examined her they realized that the little cub was emaciated. She was nothing but skin and bones. Anana was so hungry she had even resorted to eating napkins! But, now, safely at Critter Care, Anana would get the food and care she needed. She was kept inside in isolation, on heat, and given food every couple of hours. Anana gobbled everything up right away. The first few days whenever her caretaker came in to give her more food, Anana would get upset, huffing and smacking the floor. She thought we were taking her food away! Then she realized that her caretaker was just bringing her more yummy food, and she calmed down. Her caretaker gave her the name Anana, which is Inuit for beautiful.

With a full belly and a warm bed, Anana has settled in nicely at Critter Care. She has been moved to a larger outdoor pen, and in another couple of weeks she will be introduced to another bear, Boris. Anana will not hibernate, she is too small, so she will spend the winter eating and growing at Critter Care, and in the spring she will be released just as big as other bears her age.

Leotie - Whonnick

Leotie arrived from Whonnick on December 6. She had been caught hanging around a chicken farm. It is unsure what happened to her mom, but Conservation Officers believe she was killed. Without her mom Leotie didn't know what to do and ended up getting into trouble with people. Thankfully she was caught and brought in.

Leotie, whose name means flower of the prairies, is a brown-phased black bear. Which means instead of having a black fur, she has brown fur. She came in weighing 80lbs and in very good health. Leotie is a curious girl, and spent much of her first day with us exploring every inch of her new pen. She was put in the isolation of one of our bear pens. Leotie, very much wants to be in with the other bears. Every time the other bears come close Leotie gets very excited, and the bears touch noses. When not interacting with her friends, Leotie likes to play on her red jeep. Leotie will be able to join the other bears in a couple of days. From there it is hoped that Leotie and her four cage mates will all climb into their den for the long winter's sleep.

Kila - Kelowna
 

Kila arrived from Kelowna on December 7 at 3:30am at a tiny 24lbs. We had received reports of an orphaned cub a week ago, but had never heard anything after the initial reports. However on the evening of December 6 a hunter was out hunting when a little bear cub came up to him. He knew about the orphaned cub and realized that it was the same cub. Cold, hungry, and tired; Kila let the hunter pick her up and place her in a kennel. Once home he called Critter Care and offered to bring the cub to us. So he hopped in his truck and drove little Kila down from Kelowna that night.
 
Kila is Hawaiian for bold. She was given this name because of her big personality. Kila spent the first 48hours inside in isolation before moving outside with Anana. The moment she met Anana, Kila tried to prove that she was the boss, and of the two cubs she is the leader. When not bossing Anana around, Kila likes to lay in the middle of her enclosure and just relax, plotting her next mischievous adventure. Kila will spend the winter at Critter Care before being released in the spring.

The next morning the cubs relocated to a tree on the property. The family contacted Critter Care and we agreed to take the cubs. The conservation officer and the family were able to lower the cubs from the tree and get them in kennels. The Conservation Officer agreed to allow Critter Care to take the cubs. Now Critter Care had to figure out a way to transport the cubs to Langley. Kathleen and her family were more then happy to help the cubs and transported them to Merritt where they were met by Critter Care staff.

Ember was kept inside in isolation, on heat, and given food, however Ember would not eat. She had been struggling to survive for so long that now she was almost at the point that she was ready to give up. Animal Care Team Leader (who is also the Bear caretaker) Angela Fontana, began to syringe feed the cub every couple of hours. Within four days she began to eat on her own again, and six days after coming in Ember was eating on her own and her fiery attitude began to shine through. A little more then a week after she came in, Ember weighed in at 31lbs and was ready to move outside and join two of our other bear cubs in care, Kila and Anana.

Gremlin first showed up at a kind ladies house on Christmas Day, licking up birdseed off the ground.  She came back every day, twice a day after that. Concerned about the cub, Conservation Officers were contacted, but Gremlin was too small to set off the Conservation Officers trap. Thankfully Sigrid Hawkes of the Powell River SPCA was able to provide a large live trap to use to try and catch the cub. The trap was set on the morning of January 1, and within a few hours Gremlin had wandered into the trap. With permission from the Conservation Officers, Sigrid Hawkes and the lady whose yard Gremlin has been living in, took her to the airport. Gremlin got on a flight from Powell River to Vancouver, where she was picked up by Critter Care Staff.