Spring’s arrival in northern British Columbia usually heralds the budding of wild strawberries, raspberries and fireweed. But for the past two years, drought and record wildfires have left the landscape—and its inhabitants—struggling. Hungry mother bears, desperate for food, have ventured into towns and been killed, leaving behind orphaned cubs too young to fend for themselves. In 2024, Northern Lights Wildlife Society (NLWS) cared for a staggering 124 black bear cubs, up from 75 the year before. Here’s how we’re working to turn that crisis into an opportunity for conservation and coexistence.

The Crisis: Climate Change & Cub Orphans

• Widespread wildfires in 2023 scorched over one million hectares in B.C., decimating berry crops and other bear forage.
• Starving adult bears entered human settlements in search of food—many were shot, and their cubs left orphaned at just 6–15 kg (a healthy cub should weigh closer to 23 kg).
• NLWS’s rescue numbers skyrocketed, underscoring the urgent need to understand whether our changing landscape can support future generations of bears.

Our Rehabilitation & Release Process

1. A Safe Haven: Since 1990 (black bears) and 2007 (grizzlies), Angelika and Peter Langen have stewarded a 90‑hectare sanctuary near Smithers, B.C., with ten large enclosures that mimic wild terrain.
2. Natural Diet: Cubs receive a varied, high‑fat menu—fish, berries, insects and specially formulated feeds—to build strength without human habituation (only a small feeding team interacts with them).
3. Spring Release: At 16–18 months, yearlings like Rose, Madame Min, Figaro and Kocoum are freed into regrowth zones—post‑fire meadows bursting with new vegetation and minimal competition.

Tracking Their Journey

To truly gauge our success, NLWS teamed up with the B.C. government and a University of Victoria graduate student to fit 42 cubs with lightweight GPS collars (a $70,000 investment). Early data reveal:

• Some bears stay within 10–25 km of release sites.
• Others embark on epic treks—one cub traveled 250 km to remote mountains!
• Collar data collection wraps up in fall 2025, providing crucial insight into home‑range needs and survival rates.

Facing the Challenges Ahead

• Wild Learning vs. Captivity: Cubs learn essential survival skills from their mothers over two years—a priceless education we can’t fully replicate in enclosures.
• Nuisance Conflicts: Backyard fruit trees lure bears into towns. Our Bear the Responsibility campaign works with communities to remove or fence fruit trees, reducing deadly encounters.
• Spring Hunting Season: From April 1 to June 15, even with regulations, female bears with cubs are sometimes misidentified and shot. Stronger enforcement and hunter education are vital.

How You Can Help

Our work is only possible with community support. You can:

• Donate to help fund collars, veterinary care and habitat enrichment.
• Volunteer at the sanctuary—assist with safe feeding, enclosure maintenance and data entry.
• Spread the Word: Share our blog, follow our updates on social media, and encourage your community to bear the responsibility of coexistence.

Every cub we release represents hope for B.C.’s black bears—and a testament to what we can achieve when conservation, science and community come together. Thank you for standing with Northern Lights Wildlife Society as we help these young bruins not just survive, but thrive in a changing world.

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This is a summary article of the original by Roberta Staley --> LEARN MORE ABOUT ROBERTA

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