Orphaned black bear cub Maskwa thriving in the wild as winter nears
Word that orphaned bear cub Maskwa is preparing for winter slumber has wildlife well-wishers breathing a sigh of relief after the bruin’s counterpart, Charlie, was shot and killed after being released in June.
Maskwa was rehabilitated alongside Charlie at the Cochrane Ecological Institute for more than a year before both were released to different areas in Alberta.
However, just weeks after the bruins went back to the wild, Charlie was killed after travelling some 120 kilometres from his release site in a remote area of southwestern Alberta and wandering on to private land.
Maskwa, on the other hand, was released in Alberta’s Eastern Slopes near Grande Cache, and veered no more than 10 kilometres from her release site until recently.
Now venturing about 15 kilometres, she has been localized to a smaller area and is presumably preparing a den.
“It’s good news. She’s alive,” said Clio Smeeton of the Cochrane Ecological Institute, who was given an update from Alberta Environment and Parks.
“We don’t know for sure, but we think she could potentially be blind in one eye from the initial accident that brought her into our care, so it’s really nice to see that she had adapted to that level of disability, if you will, and is thriving.”
Both bears were fitted with radio collars to track their movements and successful reintegration into the wild. Smeeton said Maskwa’s progress proves the value of rehabilitation and hopes it leads the province to support grizzly bear rehabilitation, too.
Last year, the province lifted a ban on private rehabilitation of orphaned black bear cubs that had been in place since 2010, allowing Charlie and Maskwa to grow stronger in controlled conditions before their return to the wild.
Under the new protocol, exemptions are permitted on a case-bycase basis.
“Globally, we have a huge internationally recognized decline in biodiversity, and while black bears are not a threatened species by any means, their population is unknown and every individual does matter,” said Smeeton.
“So, for all animals that are rehabilitated, it’s really important because their genetic contribution to the wild population is part of recovering that biodiversity loss, and it’s important to support wildlife rehab for that reason.”
The province estimates Alberta has about 40,000 black bears, and about 10,000 black bear cubs are born annually.
On Nov. 2, the Cochrane Ecological Institute is hosting a symposium on wildlife and human interaction, which will include a documentary screening about Charlie and Maskwa.
For more information, visit Eventbrite.