A tiny teddy bear was probably separated from its mother and was seeking refuge, wandering around a house in Campbell River through a cat door on Tuesday. The baby was rescued by the Conservation Officer Service and handed over to the North Island Wildlife Recovery Center near Erington, where he is receiving food and care and will be a candidate for release within a year, said Robin Campbell, a bear specialist at the center. The baby weighed 13.8 kilograms and was estimated to have been born in January or February in a hideout during hibernation, Campbell said. Maintenance officers were not immediately available for comment. Campbell said there were no signs of a mother bear in the area. He said the sex of the baby has not yet been determined and the baby has not been thoroughly screened because caregivers do not want to add extra stress so soon after conception. “Physically it looks good, and when fed from a bowl we need some time to get used to where it is,” Campbell said. “As you can imagine, it’s very strange for the little one right now and he’s very scared of people. “Going from his mother to conception is really difficult for any little teddy bear.” Campbell said rescuing a baby from inside a house was “definitely the first” for the North Island Wildlife Recovery Center, which has seen hundreds of black bear babies for 30 years. In most cases, the mother has been killed, Campbell said. “There is always a sad reason.” So what do you feed a young baby? Bear milk formula, he said, along with apple sauce, cottage cheese, yogurt, pablum, some puppy food and a mixture of sardines and water. After a few more weeks, fruits and vegetables will be added to his diet. “It simply came to our notice then [the cub’s] belly, “Campbell said. “It will be a long journey for this little man.” The little one, who is currently in isolation, will grow up in the recovery center for about a year, going through various stages and pens, with the latter being an area where he builds his own cave and goes into hibernation. Campbell said the baby would then be released in the Campbell River area, where there are similar “blood lines” of the black bear. Later this month, the center plans to release six young black bears that have grown up in the center since last year. They are provided with collars with information about each one, so that they can be monitored until adulthood. Campbell expects more babies to be delivered to the recovery center this spring and summer as humans and bears come into increasing contact. Conservationists remind people to secure their rubbish and recycling materials indoors and ensure that other attractive products such as fruit and pet food will not be left out, so that bears have no reason to stay in urban areas. areas. Campbell estimates there are about 7,000 black bears on the island. The Vancouver Island black bear is one of six subspecies in BC, and is darker and slightly larger than its counterparts. [email protected]
