Deer entangled in Christmas lights and lost bear cub rescued by B.C. conservation officers

B.C.’s wildlife officers have had a busy winter so far taking calls to assist entangled deer and an abandoned bear cub in the province’s interior.

Chris Doyle, deputy chief of provincial operations for the B.C. Conservation Officers Service, said that officers were called to attend to a report of an abandoned bear cub in Prince George.

The cub, found in the Sinclair Mills area north east of Prince George, was weak and without its mother in the middle of a snowy side-road, while temperatures dipped below -25 C.

It was taken to the Northern Lights Wildlife Society near Smithers, B.C. It will be released next spring back to the area where it was found.

“This bear was not a conflict animal, had no conflict interest, and was determined to be a good candidate to take to the rehab facility,” said Doyle.

Doyle said that thankfully reports of bear cubs being found alone in populated areas at this time of year, are rare.

“That’s fortunate, because we hope that cubs are safely in their den with their sow,” said Doyle.

However, it’s not only reports of abandoned bear cubs that are attracting the attention of provincial conservation officers.

Doyle says the service has seen an uptick in calls of deer getting entangled in stray outdoor items, such ropes and nets. But one poor buck found itself in an trapped in something not uncommon to see around the holidays.

On Nov. 10, homeowners near 100 Mile House had to call in conservation officers to attend to one especially unlucky buck that was fully entangled in a string of Christmas lights, requiring the officers to help untangle the distressed deer.

Doyle and the officers service remind the public that feeding bears and other dangerous wildlife is an offense under provincial law, as is negligently storing items that might attract wildlife to populated areas.