Showing the reality of wildlife rehab
Coming to Animal Planet in 2017, a TV program featuring a society of saviours in Smithers
Are you a fan of Hope for Wildlife on Knowledge Network?
Then the Vancouver-based Omnifilm Entertainment (Ice Pilots, Jade Fever) documentary series Wild Bear Rescue is for you.
Coming to Animal Planet in 2017, the program focuses on the dedicated founders and volunteer crew of the Northern Lights Wildlife Society in Smithers. The registered charity specializes in rehabilitation of injured or abandoned bears and ungulates such as deer and moose. It was founded in 1990 by immigrant German zookeepers Angelika and Peter Langen when they became aware of the lack of any facility to deal with animals that were injured, abandoned or orphaned by hunting or accident.
“We didn’t want to make a highlight reality TV show, but rather to show what rehab is really all about and what options and limitations and heartbreaks are involved in it,” Angelika Langen says. “Bringing across the positive as well as the worries and concerns was essential, and it’s been a tricky thing because human contact has to be very limited as these are animals that we are reintroducing into their natural home.”
To date, the Langens and their staff have nursed 369 bears back to health. Of those, just 2.4 per cent came into human conflict post-release. This spectacular track record has meant the couple travels the world making presentations at meetings such as the International Bear Rehab Conference in Russia, the International Moose Conference in Canada and even a trip to Vietnam last year.
“We went there last fall to talk to the government there about how to rehabilitate the bears saved from the closing down of the bear-bile business,” she says. “Everywhere we go, we see different ideas and practices about how to do it and it’s a constant learning process.
“The end goal is always the same, wherever you are.”
Omnifilm Entertainment’s Gabriela Schonbach is an executive producer of Wild Bear Rescue. Making a show where you want to focus on the animals but have to stay away from them posed some unique challenges.
“There are two characters in the series, the animals and the humans,” Schonbach says. “So we worked very closely with the Langens and worked off of their cues about how much of the rehab process we could show as well as tying in the rescues, the not very good news that happens and, of course, the releases.
“We filmed a few of those last week and it’s really touching.”
Animal Planet approached Omnifilm Entertainment for a show like Wild Bear Rescue and the broadcaster wanted the program to be as realistic as possible. Schonbach says that Omnifilm Entertaiment’s roots in nature programs such as Champions of the Wild and back to its 1977 debut documentary Greenpeace: Voyages to Save the Whales meant the company was uniquely positioned to work with the Langens on creating something that is both entertaining and authentic.
“Last night, we took in a deer that had been hit by a car and it was dying, but today it’s standing up looking at me; I like that kind of story,” Langen says.
“That isn’t always how it goes, which is hard. This year is really challenging because mild weather meant a higher birthrate and we have 26 cubs already where we would normally have three at this time.”
The traditionally busy autumn season is yet to come. Northern Lights Wildlife Society is facing possibly having to turn away residents as demand outstrips capacity. Angelika Langen says the dream is to build a new grizzly facility and expand the black bear space. As the only facility of its kind in the bear heavy north of the province (there are others in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island), their work is cut out for them."
Wild Bear Rescue will hopefully focus some much needed attention on their efforts. The shelter is licensed by the B.C. government, but is not funded.