‘Elusive’ bear cub captured after paying visit to CBSA office near B.C.-Alaska border

STEWART (NEWS 1130) – A bear cub that had evaded conservationists for more than a month was finally trapped near B.C.’s border with Alaska after bearing no mind to a crossing.

Images posted to Facebook by the Canada Border Services Agency show the little cub climbing a sign, peering into a window, and standing at the door of the CBSA building at the Hyder-Stewart Border Crossing on Oct. 13.

“A traveller sought entry for essential reasons, but had no travel documents,” the cheeky post reads.

“From the first time we got a report on her, we chased her all over Stewart and put up traps in different locations. She always eluded us and then we got a call from the border that there was a little cub trying to get into their building,” Angelika Langen, the manager and co-founder of Northern Lights Wildlife Society, tells NEWS 1130.

“We sent our volunteer over there and she set the trap. Within minutes, the little cub, now so hungry that it was just going for food, was in the trap,” she adds.

Bear severely underweight

The bear, which has since been named Annie, was severely underweight when she arrived at the Northern Lights Wildlife Society, the organization’s co-founder explains.

While some people have described the images of the bear as “cute,” the society says there was likely a serious reason for her antics.

“It was getting cold and she was looking for warmth,” Langen says. “They start grasping at everything, where they can go and cuddle up and not use as much energy.”

Langen says Annie was only 21 pounds when she arrived at the facility.

“She should have been more than double of that in order to go into hibernation, but without a mom, she just survived, she didn’t thrive, and that was the problem. She would have never been able to survive the winter.”

The society believes the mother was killed, possibly by a vehicle.

Cub draws attention

The CBSA’s social media post has brought the Northern Lights Wildlife Society a lot of attention.

“The message right now is any cub out there without a mother at this time of year needs help. They will likely will not be able to hibernate on their own, and that’s what we’re here for,” Langen says, adding her society works province-wide, save for the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island areas, where specific facilities are found.

People are encouraged to report any bear cubs they spot alone to Conservation Officers so they can be taken care of.

And while Annie has gained a lot of attention, Langen notes she’s not the only cub to be brought to the society in recent weeks.

“We have currently 33 black bear cubs and three Grizzly bear cubs in our care,” she says.

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