Injured bear cub deserves better

Government officials continue to contradict themselves as they defend their position to leave a languishing black bear cub to fend for itself west of the city. The bear is debilitated by its injuries, has too little weight to go into hibernation and survive the winter and limited ability to travel to find a suitable den sight.

The Cochrane Ecological and Wildlife Reserve Society has a valid rehabilitation permit issued by the government, but cannot proceed without an additional temporary shelter permit because of a 2010 provincial policy that bans orphans of Indigenous wild species, including black bear cubs, from rescue, rearing and release back into the wild.

This facility has the expertise to transport the bear in a culvert live trap, evaluate and treat its injuries and provide suitable care, food and housing until it can be released. This would all be done by experts at no cost to the government.

Black bears are successfully transported, relocated and released all over North America using culvert live traps.

The sad reality is Alberta has no interest in rehabilitating bears.

No solutions are available to help this bear cub, according to Paul Frame, the government’s carnivore specialist.

Where is our voice if we cannot act through our government?

Wanda Fach, Calgary