5 bear cubs orphaned in B.C. after mother illegally killed

Nono Shen · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 30, 2025 9:25 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

British Columbia's Conservation Officer Service says an probe is underway to find the idiosyncratic who illegally changeable and killed a pistillate achromatic carnivore adjacent Williams Lake, B.C., leaving down 5 cubs. 

Conservation officers accidental the incidental took spot betwixt May 24 and 25 adjacent the assemblage of Big Lake, northeast of Williams Lake. 

The bureau said successful a connection that it received a study connected May 26 aft a passing motorist saw a achromatic carnivore carcass and cubs.

The cubs were captured for rehabilitation astatine Northern Lights Wildlife Society successful Smithers, B.C. 

Angelika Langen, a co-founder of the group, said 3 cubs had been safely captured arsenic of Friday day aft unrecorded traps and beverage were utilized to lure them in. The centre is inactive hoping to find the 4th and fifth. 

Langen said the cubs person shown accent and seemed "very confused" without their mother. 

"They're precise overmuch relying connected each different and leaning connected each different for comfort," said Langen. 

But Langen said the cubs were expected to get amended and commencement showcasing their "real personalities" successful a week oregon two.

Under the Wildlife Act, it is amerciable to sprout a sow with cubs, oregon immoderate achromatic carnivore younger than 2 years old.

Conservation serviceman Jeremy Pauls said successful the connection that it's "an unfortunate situation" due to the fact that it's "not each time that a achromatic carnivore is seen successfully raising 5 cubs astatine the aforesaid time." 

Pauls said the conservation officers are investigating and are asking for the public's help. 

Langen said erstwhile each 5 cubs are rescued, it's expected they volition enactment astatine the installation until they're released backmost to quality next June.

"That would beryllium the clip erstwhile they would usually permission their mother," she said. "So we're going with a earthy occurrence there, marque it arsenic casual arsenic imaginable for them to integrate into the chaotic colonisation again."