3 little bears find home at Langley animal shelter

WATCH:  A record number of bear cubs are being housed at a Langley animal shelter.

Three little bears have been warming hearts at an animal rescue shelter in Langley in recent days. The cubs were found separately, wandering without their mothers in B.C.’s Interior, and conservationists hope to eventually return them to the wild.

One of the cubs, nicknamed Hooligan, is just a few months old. She had about 24 hours to live when she was found by the side of the road in the Clinton area last week. She’s been receiving round-the-clock care at Langley’s Critter Care Wildlife Society ever since.

“She was very dehydrated, she was very thin,” said Critter Care’s Gail Martin. “She’s doing really well. After about three days, she just picked up…She was just over three pounds when she came in.”

Two other cubs found in the Merritt area are also receiving care at the rescue shelter. All three cubs were orphaned.

Critter Care staff say it’s unusual to see this many cubs at their centre this early in the season.

Lack of a good food source and warm weather may be reasons why bears are making an early appearance this year. This past weekend a black bear had to be tranquilized in Coquitlam.

Officials say the best way to keep bears safe and alive is to limit their access to food sources.

“The best thing is to control your attractants,” says Critter Care’s Angela Fontana. “Make sure your garbage isn’t being left out and easy access to bears. Put your bird feeders away. If they come into town and they find an easy food source, it just spells disaster for them.”

The three little bears will live at Critter Care until next year. Plans are to release them into the wild after the 2016 spring bear hunting season.

-with files from Jennifer Palma