CTV News Shares Rescue Story of Orphaned Bear Cubs

We’re grateful to CTV News for helping share the story of Castor and Lyra—two orphaned bear cubs who are now safe and receiving care at Critter Care Wildlife Society.

The cubs, a brother and sister, were reunited at our facility after being found separately in Maple Ridge. Their mother was tragically euthanized by police in June after she attacked a woman on her back deck, likely startled in the dark. After that, the cubs disappeared into the woods.

Then volunteers from Critter Care, Maple Ridge Black Bear Society, and Halo’s Pet Rescue worked to find them. Thanks to helpful tips from local residents, both cubs were located in early July, hiding in a ravine near a residential area. They were thin, hungry, and clearly not equipped to survive alone.

“They didn’t really stand a chance being left out in the open,” said Krissy Whitlock, executive director of the Maple Ridge Black Bear Society.

When Castor and Lyra saw each other again, it was a tender moment. “Brother and sister, they hadn’t seen each other for a long time. It was very, very sweet,” said our Wildlife Assistant, Luke Williams. [Photo below]

Currently, the cubs are in our care, still receiving milk feeds and adjusting to their new environment. Contact with humans is kept to a minimum so they can grow strong and wild, just as they were meant to be.

They’re gaining weight quickly. Castor is already around 35 pounds, and Lyra is close behind at 21. If all goes well, we hope to release them back into the wild next June.



The cost of caring for each bear cub through its release is estimated at $4,000 to $5,000. This includes food, milk, medical needs, enclosure cleaning, and round-the-clock care from our staff and interns.

We couldn’t do this without the support of the public. Thank you to everyone in Maple Ridge who called in tips, and to all of you who donate, share our updates, and cheer us on. You’re a part of this rescue story too.

To watch the CTV story, CLICK HERE [https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/orphaned-bear-cubs-rescued-after-mother-killed-in-maple-ridge-bc/]