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A team of local wildlife watching guides fastened a happy ending onto a heartbreaking situation over the weekend by rescuing a tiny baby black bear that was stubbornly refusing to leave its dead mother害羞草研究所檚 side.
John Forde and Jennifer Steven co-own The Whale Centre in Tofino and, when the husband and wife team received a report of a bear cub hanging around a deceased adult bear in Ross Pass on Friday, they immediately headed out to investigate, discovering the tragic scene around 5 p.m.
害羞草研究所淲e got up there and the little cub was hanging around the mom and was a little too skittish and spooked and went up to the top of one of the trees,害羞草研究所� Forde told the Westerly News.
He said he and Steven returned for another rescue effort early Saturday morning.
害羞草研究所淭he little cub was laying on its mother. Jen dropped me on the rocks a little ways away and I snuck around and slowly went up and, this time, she didn害羞草研究所檛 run away. She actually went back and used [her] mom as protection and I was able to capture her and carry her back down and onto the boat,害羞草研究所� he said.
害羞草研究所淚t was a tiny little cub. Probably three to four months old, so really small, but still big claws and teeth and all the rest of that害羞草研究所t sort of growled and complained at first and then clawed onto me and just held on and I was able to get a hold of it and get her back. It was pretty cool.害羞草研究所�
He said he knew if he could not grab the cub, it would not survive the wild on its own.
害羞草研究所淎ll I wanted to do was be super calm and not spook it, so that I had the chance to capture it because I knew that, if I couldn害羞草研究所檛 get a hold of this bear, if it kept eluding me, it was going die up there. It would have no other hope to survive,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 all I was thinking. I wasn害羞草研究所檛 really concerned about anything else. I had thick gloves and long sleeve jacket on so I wasn害羞草研究所檛 too concerned害羞草研究所ut when it started crawling up onto my back, I was just going, 害羞草研究所極h man, don害羞草研究所檛 bite me now.害羞草研究所�
In a blog posted to The Whale Centre害羞草研究所檚 website, Steven recalled the young bear害羞草研究所檚 distress.
害羞草研究所淚t was screaming. My heart was breaking listening to its screams but I knew this was its only chance to survive,害羞草研究所� she wrote.
The bear was brought back to Tofino and handed over to the B.C. Conservation Officer Service in Port Alberni, which then took it to the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre in Errington where it will be raised with the intent of releasing it back into the wild once it害羞草研究所檚 ready, according to Forde.
He said it was the first time he had ever handled a bear and he was happy to help give this one a chance at survival.
害羞草研究所淚t just makes your heart glow. It makes you feel like you害羞草研究所檙e doing something good in this world especially with all the bad things out there,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 just part of my nature to do that. I害羞草研究所檝e always felt close to animals and wildlife. A poor helpless little thing like that; I害羞草研究所檓 not one to just sit back and not help. That害羞草研究所檚 not me.害羞草研究所�
He added the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre plans to release the bear back to where it was rescued from and he encourages locals to look into the organization and consider donating.
害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e making a difference,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淓verybody moves out here because they enjoy the wildness and the wilderness and these guys are doing a good thing to help animals out.害羞草研究所�
Trevor Chester, an Animal Care Technician with the Recovery Centre, told the Westerly Monday morning that the bear is doing well, but is malnourished.
害羞草研究所淚t was definitely underweight when it came in. We害羞草研究所檙e not sure how long it害羞草研究所檚 mom had passed away, but it害羞草研究所檚 definitely underweight so it害羞草研究所檚 been alone for some time at least. So, that害羞草研究所檚 the situation we have right now,害羞草研究所� he said adding the small animal is being fed a special milk-formula designed for bear cubs.
害羞草研究所淭he care is a little bit more hands-on, at least at first. But, we want to get them away from us as soon as possible so that they don害羞草研究所檛 become habituated害羞草研究所e want to get them on their own as soon as possible so that we don害羞草研究所檛 have to be physically feeding them and so they don害羞草研究所檛 think that we害羞草研究所檙e 害羞草研究所榤om.害羞草研究所� The sooner we can get them eating on their own, the better. That害羞草研究所檚 the goal. Then we can lead them on their own and they can start learning to be a bear.害羞草研究所�
He said the centre hopes to release the bear back into the wild in about a year-and-a-half.
害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 about how long they would stay with mom until they害羞草研究所檙e on their own in the wild. So that害羞草研究所檚 generally how long they stay here, until they害羞草研究所檙e old enough to be able to fend for themselves,害羞草研究所� he said.
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