Update: This story was updated Friday morning after officials confirmed the cub had been safely captured.
Conservation officers have successfully captured the orphaned black bear cub that had been roaming Daajing Giids this week. The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship confirmed the cub is now in care and will be transported to Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter, where it will overwinter before release next spring.
The cub was captured after officers placed a trap in an area identified through community sightings. Local reports earlier in the week described the animal as small and thin, and residents were urged not to feed it so it would not become accustomed to human food.
Northern Lights Wildlife Society confirmed to Haida Gwaii News that it will accept any cub of this year that is sent to the facility and said there is plenty of room. The shelter sent a live trap and transport box to local Conservation Officers to support the effort. The organization has also arranged logistics with Inland Air, which agreed to fly captured cubs to Prince Rupert. Pickup and ground transport from Prince Rupert to the shelter has been secured.
The shelter’s co founder, Angelika Langen, said she is aware of two cubs in need of assistance, one in Daajing Giids and one near Moresby Camp. She said she has no information about reports of cubs in Skidegate. Langen added that community reports played a key role in helping officers determine where to set the trap.
The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship said earlier this week that officials had been monitoring several reports of potentially orphaned cubs on Haida Gwaii. The ministry noted that the animals had been observed foraging and appeared to be in fair condition for this time of year. There were no public safety concerns, but the ministry reminded residents to secure attractants and never feed wildlife.
With the Daajing Giids cub now in care, the ministry says it will continue to assess additional reports of orphaned cubs in the region.
HGN will continue to follow the situation and update the community as new information becomes available.
