Manitoba bear sanctuary gets boost from Bob Barker

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This article was published 23/08/2016 (2792 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s first black bear cub rehabilitation centre is getting a celebrity boost.

Bob Barker, former host of the televised game show The Price Is Right, has donated $50,000 towards the facility.

“I think it’s money well spent,” said Barker, who has been a life-long advocate for animals. “I love all animals and I help animals around the world of all kinds. But this particular one, I was struck with the realization that these little cubs, there’s no place for them when they’re picked up and I wanted to help.”

The project began in 2012 when Roger and Judy Stearns, from the RM of Rockwood north of Winnipeg, approached Julie Woodyer, campaign director at Zoocheck, a Canadian-based wildlife protection charity, about orphaned black bear cubs in Manitoba.

The Stearns were concerned about the Manitoba government’s policy about handling orphaned bear cubs. Three options are outlined on a government website: cubs will be released into the wild if they are healthy and have a reasonable chance of survival; if not, an accredited zoo or wildlife facility will be contacted to provide a permanent home for the cubs; if no homes are found, the cubs are euthanized.

After becoming aware of the province’s handling of orphaned cubs, Stearns approached Woodyer about potentially opening a rehabilitation facility. Stearns said the idea was eventually put on the backburner and she waited to see if anyone else would open one in the meantime. It wasn’t until last summer that she started to seriously look into it, she said.

“Time was going by and more cubs were dying and we just thought, ‘We’ve got the interest and the space ourselves, why don’t we just do it then?'” said Stearns.

Barker, who has worked with Zoocheck in the past, was told about the project through Woodyer, the Zoocheck official. He said he was impressed with Judy and Roger Stearns. “To think that they would get into this as deeply as they are, financially and time-wise, is just very impressive so I wanted to help,” he said. The money was donated to Zoocheck, which will disperse the funds to the project.

Stearns said the facility is going to be self-funded, but Barker’s donation will allow the facility to be larger, more complex and better. “It’s just amazing,” she said. “It just kicked it up a whole notch or two. It’s taken it to another level and it’s going to speed things along.”

Woodyer said the number of orphaned black bear cubs varies by year — some years there may be none, others there may be around four or five. She said the facility is being built to hold 10 cubs and the facility can expand if needed.

“We need two final approvals, but there isn’t any criteria there that we don’t think we can meet, so I’m very confident that the facility will be going forward,” she said. The RM of Rockwood has been informed of the project and they haven’t had negative feedback, added Woodyer. She also added that the Stearns’ neighbours have been informed and are “very supportive” of the project.

Stearns said less than a quarter of their 10-acre property will be used for the facility, which will include an indoor and outdoor enclosure.

John Beecham, a consultant on bear rehabilitation issues and scientific advisor to Get Bear Smart Society, helped design the facility and provided the Stearns with written guidelines and protocols.

The facility will be run primarily by the Stearns, with a minimal number of volunteers on hand if needed. Stearns said she and her husband already know the rehabilitation process, but Beecham will be available on retainer if they have any questions or concerns.

“It’s something that addresses what most of the general public wants from their wildlife agencies. When they end up with orphaned animals like this they like to see them saved in some way; returned to the wild if possible,” said Beecham.

Stearns said the facility will likely receive cubs in the early spring or late summer, depending on when they’re orphaned. From there, the cubs will be bottle-fed and eventually weaned while staying inside the indoor enclosure. The cubs will then move to the outdoor enclosure, allowing them to socialize with the other cubs, she said.

Stearns said the big factor behind rehabilitating the cubs is their size and their ability to defend themselves from predators. “If they’re too small in body weight, they can’t defend themselves,” she said. “The larger they are the better chance they have of survival.” The plan is to release the cubs when they weigh around 80 pounds in the late fall — just before they begin to hibernate.

In anticipation of the facility opening, Stearns got her certified wildlife rehabilitator license.

“I’ve handled animals my whole life,” she said. “I don’t have any fear, I’m just looking forward to having the bears here and helping them.”

While the facility will not be open to the public, Woodyer said the facility will help educate Manitobans on how to deal with bears through their website and other mediums.

“The truth is, at a facility like this, your best hope is that it never even has to be used, that there’s never an orphaned cub,” said Woodyer. “Truth is there always will be. But reducing those numbers of incidents is also a key role of any rehabilitation centre and educating the public about how to keep from having conflicts with wild animals.”

The final plans are going to the RM of Rockwood and the Manitoba Wildlife and Fisheries Branch for approval in the coming weeks.

The facility is anticipated to open next spring.

alexandra.depape@freepress.mb.ca