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.