Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter has begun its annual release of bears into the wild.
Last year, the shelter, located just east of Smithers on the Telkwa High Road, took in 32 black bear orphans and two grizzlies. The first three were released between Kitwanga and Houston last weekend.
Five more will be going out this weekend in the Fort St. John area and for the rest of the month, the Northern Lights team will be on the road.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檒l go down towards Williams Lake and [release] bears there, then we have bears in the Prince George region, we have bears up in Telegraph Creek and Dease Lake, over to Jade City as well and then we need to go down to the Rosslyn and Castlegar area and then over to Cranbrook, so we91裸聊视频檙e all over B.C. in the next three weeks,91裸聊视频� said Angelica Langen, Northern Lights co-founder with husband Peter Langen.
WATCH: Video of 29 black bear orphans eating breakfast at Northern Lights Animal Shelter
The two grizzlies will be released in Bella Coola.
Angelica said 2018 was a fairly typical year.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 becoming standard, between 30 and 40 bears every year, the most we had was almost 50 and we can take over 60, we have room,91裸聊视频� she said.
She explained the June release is based primarily on the natural cycle of cub weaning.
91裸聊视频淭hey always get released at about a year-and-a-half,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 when the mother kicks them off because she91裸聊视频檚 going to get bred again by a male and the male would be a danger to the cubs.
91裸聊视频淭his is the normal time when they91裸聊视频檙e genetically primed to be on their own. They91裸聊视频檙e teenagers now, so they can91裸聊视频檛 wait to move out from home.
91裸聊视频淭he other reason we try to do it at this time of year is because the adults are busy with each other; they91裸聊视频檙e less likely to hunt the young ones down so (the cubs) have four or five weeks to kind of get their bearing and get the hell out of the area if there91裸聊视频檚 a big boar around.91裸聊视频�
Finally, she said, the abundance of food at this time of year helps.
91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 lots of food and bears do share, so if there91裸聊视频檚 lots of food around, again, there91裸聊视频檚 less chance of predation.
91裸聊视频淎ll around, it91裸聊视频檚 the best time for them to go out, the berries are coming now and there91裸聊视频檚 lots of greens, so they have a good chance of getting themselves settled and not lose a whole lot of weight.91裸聊视频�
Shelter workers also try to avoid putting the cubs into a tough situation.
91裸聊视频淥bviously when we drive in somewhere we don91裸聊视频檛 know what91裸聊视频檚 living there, but we look for signs of bear activity and we try to pick areas where we don91裸聊视频檛 see many signs, but [where there is] good food and water.91裸聊视频�
That doesn91裸聊视频檛 mean there isn91裸聊视频檛 sometimes trouble. Angelica said there have been cases when it looks like they91裸聊视频檝e found a safe drop-off spot and the next thing that happens is a big male will show up.
READ MORE: Saving a bear at Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter
91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 nothing you can do about that,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淎ll the areas are occupied and it91裸聊视频檚 normal for the young ones that they have to move.91裸聊视频�
June is also the busy time of year for rescues. So far in 2019, the shelter has taken in 10 black bear cubs and one deer fawn and Angelica is anticipating many more.
The main cause is traffic, she said.
91裸聊视频淭he primary reason why we get bears is highway or train collisions, I would say that91裸聊视频檚 about 75 per cent of the cubs we get come from those reasons.91裸聊视频�
The second most common cause is nuisance bears being shot.
91裸聊视频淲hen people leave their attractants out, and they don91裸聊视频檛 clean up their garbage and don91裸聊视频檛 like when the bear comes around and has an easy meal, then, if the calls keep coming in, the conservation officers, by law, have no other choice than taking out those bears and that then creates more orphans,91裸聊视频� she explained.
Consequently, now is also the most expensive time of year for Northern Lights and the push is on to bring in the donations.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e totally funded by the public and by donations so we rely on getting these donations and that dictates how many bears we can take in,91裸聊视频� Angelica said. 91裸聊视频淚f we don91裸聊视频檛 get the support, we have to reduce the numbers, because we have to look after them until next year, so I need to know that we can feed them and look after them.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 always this time of year, fundraising for the kilometres that we have to cover and then also for all these little guys that are coming in now, the milk is very expensive, like a bag of bear milk is about $145 and we91裸聊视频檒l go through a bag in a week-and-a-half.91裸聊视频�
There is also the expense of maintenance on the pens and structures.
91裸聊视频淲hen you have a 150-pound bear in there and you have 30 of them, they do a lot of damage,91裸聊视频� she said.
editor@interior-news.com
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