Large carnivores ( such as cougar, wolf and
grizzly bear) are typically excluded from rehab efforts. In 2007 NLWS
and the BC Government came to a historic agreement to start a grizzly
rehab pilot project.
The
first two cubs came into care that first summer/fall and up to 2015 a
total of 18 grizzly cubs were rehabilitated across BC. In the fall of
2015 IFAW did not renew the support agreement, due to other
commitments.
NLWS and the BC
Government agreed to carry on anyway. We are still gathering data and
fine tuning protocols before declaring this project ready to go
mainstream. We will continue to collect information and create policies
and best practices that will allow others to follow our lead and offer
options to orphaned grizzly cubs.
Is it safe to release human raised bears?
After 26 years and over 300 bears we simply have to say:
"Yes it is!"
Bear
rehabilitation is happening in many parts of our world with great
success. As long as policies and best management practices are followed
the bears have no problem to reintegrate into a life in the wild.
After 10 years and 18 grizzly cubs we are confident that the same is true for grizzly’s
Will they not become habituated?
If
handled correctly, young bears will not become habituated to humans.
Their wild upbringing assists us in ensuring that they don't become
habituated to humans. One of the first things that a wild bear mom has
to teach her cubs is that other bears can be deadly to them. This fact
helps the human caretaker to teach their cubs that other humans are not
to be approached. The human bear mother, provides the nurturing care
that young cubs need to develop mentally correctly while teaching them
to avoid other humans. That means that ideally bear cubs have only one
or two caregivers in their first few month of life. Once they are older
and can be housed with conspecifics, others can help in the care as long
as they have no contact with the bears.
What questions remain?
We
are still working out best management practices, which includes
housing, diets and handling of grizzly cubs. Our starting point was our
black bear knowledge and we are working on adapting our policies and
practices to reflect the best possible grizzly care.