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The current orphaning of 5 black bear cubs within the Bragg Creek space has rekindled calls for the province chill out its restriction on rehabilitating wildlife.

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A gaggle of wildlife consultants say the deaths of two mom bears that has left 5 of their offspring adrift presents a chance to alter the best way orphaned cubs are dealt with.

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Earlier this summer season, a mom bear was struck and killed on Freeway 22 close to the foothills hamlet, leaving two cubs orphaned.

That was adopted by a male grownup bear being equally killed.

Then, on Aug. 28 a provincial fish and wildlife officer fatally shot a mom bruin after its repeated encounters with residents, abandoning three cubs.

Rubbish left by residents had attracted the bears, stated an official with Alberta Atmosphere and Parks.

It’s believed all 5 cubs aged seven to eight months are nonetheless within the space, stated biologist Lisa Dahlseide.

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“The cubs are nonetheless on their very own — three cubs that have been orphaned have been seen two or 3 times by locals,” stated Dahlseide, training director on the Cochrane Ecological Institute (CEI).

However she stated that and a provincial ban on rehabilitation services taking in bear cubs from July 1 to Jan. 1 has reignited calls for the province rethink that reluctance.

“We’re the one jurisdiction with that rule, I’ve by no means seen any scientific proof supporting that,” Dahlseide.

She stated the CEI is able to host the cubs in its 4.5-acre enclosure however famous the power had its allow indefinitely revoked following a dispute with the province that accused it of improperly transporting and treating an orphaned cub in Might 2021.

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That isn’t sitting effectively with Bragg Creek residents who have been to fulfill Wednesday night time with wildlife consultants to debate methods of rehabilitating the animals and lowering situations of their being orphaned, stated Dahlseide.

“Individuals (in Bragg Creek) are actually grieving the lack of that mom (that was shot) . . . They’re fairly mad concerning the insurance policies in place,” she stated.

These on the assembly can even hear particulars of a partnership between the Kainai Nation, the College of Calgary and CEI that might see cubs rehabilitated on the Cochrane-area facility over the winter, after which launched to the wild on First Nation land in southern Alberta, that might monitor the destiny of such animals.

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“There’s a analysis hole in bear rehabilitation and this could possibly be a chance to shut that hole,” stated Dahlseide.

However she stated that might require a analysis allow from the province.

Non-public Canmore-based bear biologist Sarah Elmeligi agreed the province’s strategy to bear rehabilitation must be redrawn.

“Their rehabilitation protocol can positively be up to date with science,” she stated.

“One thing I’ve at all times struggled with is the bear response protocol . . . they’re too fast in relocating bears, although there are events the place bears should be bodily moved.”

Even higher could be guaranteeing bear cubs aren’t orphaned, by lowering bruin-human battle, stated Elmeligi.

That features higher family administration of pet meals, rubbish and fruit bushes which can be attractants for bears, she stated.

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“It actually does begin with you in your personal yard, so there’s nothing to maintain them there they usually’ll go away to the place meals is extra accessible,” she stated.

Communities and governments additionally want to search out methods to scale back site visitors collisions with bears and different animals, with Freeway 22 close to Bragg Creek turning into more and more busy.

Provincial officers will proceed monitoring the orphaned cubs round Bragg Creek and decide what’s greatest for them, Alberta Atmosphere and Parks spokeswoman Hayley Martin stated in an e-mail.

The cubs in query are too previous to require rehabilitation, a practise that ought to be weighed towards the habituation of bears in human captivity, she added.

“The best choice is at all times to go away animals within the wild each time doable,” stated Martin.

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“Analysis on wildlife rehabilitation signifies that human intervention is prone to trigger larger hurt to those cubs based mostly on their age.”

The coverage banning cub consumption after July 1, she stated, is critical to restrict their age except they’re deemed appropriate by Alberta Atmosphere and Parks employees.

The Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation will proceed to rehabilitate bears when wanted, stated Martin.

Since CEI is difficult within the courts the ban on its capacity to rehabilitate bears, the province gained’t touch upon the prohibition that’s been prolonged to at the very least March 31, 2023, she stated. 

BKaufmann@postmedia.com

Twitter: @BillKaufmannjrn