Bear sanctuary urges action to protect mothers after surge of orphaned cubs

More than 50 orphaned or injured black bears are being cared for at the Bear With Us rehabilitation centre near Huntsville, as food shortages across Ontario leave the animals struggling to survive.

Mike McIntosh, who runs the Sprucedale-based facility, says this summer’s unusual weather patterns caused natural berry crops to fail in many parts of the province.

The food shortage has driven bears, especially mother bears with cubs, to forage more boldly, often venturing into unsafe territory.

McIntosh says this is leading to a rise in orphaned cubs.

“They tend to go to hunters’ bait sites in the fall, and the mother bears get shot. That leaves the cubs orphaned and susceptible to starvation or dying for other reasons,” he says.

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Bear cubs with their mother at Bear With Us animal centre in Sprucedale, Ont., on Dec. 19, 2024. (CTV News/Rob Cooper)

While bear hunting is legal during Ontario’s designated season, McIntosh says banning hunters from shooting mother bears could help reduce the number of orphaned cubs brought to his centre.

“It would be wise to do something because the government has data which suggests the bear population in Ontario is suffering,” McIntosh says. “It’s being overhunted, and the population is going down. An easy way to fix that would be to protect mother bears with their cubs throughout the whole year.”

McIntosh works closely with the Ministry of Natural Resources to care for injured or orphaned bears. Some bears have already been successfully released back into the wild this year.

“If you see a small cub or see a bear in need — maybe an adult bear or injured — call the bear reporting line at 1-866-514-2327 and give somebody an opportunity to help,” McIntosh urges. “Maybe it’s possible.”

The bears currently at the Sprucedale sanctuary will remain there over the coming months, with plans to release the healthy ones next summer.