Revamped policy on orphaned bear cub rehab expected soon

The province says it expects to reveal details about a new policy regarding the rehabilitation of orphaned bear cubs in Alberta "very soon."

For the past eight years it has been illegal in Alberta to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned cubs and other animals over concerns they couldn't thrive in the wild after human intervention.

Clio Smeeton, president of the Cochrane Ecological Institute, says her organization successfully rehabilitated cubs from the mid-1980s until the practice was banned in 2010.

"When the prohibition first came in in 2010, there was a huge uproar in the media and they were asked if they had any record of conflict as a result of bear rehabilitation and release, and they had no record," she said.

The debate over Alberta's current policy was sparked whenthree baby bears were found locked in a roadside bathroom in Banff National Park in early 2017.

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The cubs were transported toAspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Ontario, where they have been recovering in preparation for their return to Banff National Park sometime this year.

Alberta Environment and Parks says a new policy regarding bear cub rehabilitation will be unveiled soon, but officials were not able to get it in place in time for this year's hunting season, which began Sunday.

In a statement, Alberta Environment and Parks spokesperson Matt Dykstra said the province is taking the time to get the new policy right.

"And that means working with local experts and rehabilitation centres to ensure the protocol considers public safety, the latest science on bear behaviour, and the welfare of orphaned black bear cubs," he said.

"We will have more to say very soon."

Last month the province said its revampedpolicy might do away with the ban on rehabilitating orphaned bear cubs.

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