Orphaned, injured bear cub rescued from wildfire-ravaged area in B.C.'s Shuswap

The BC Conservation Officer Service shared this photo of a bear cub rescued from the wildfire-ravaged Shuswap region. (Image credit: Facebook/ConservationOfficerService)

A black bear cub that was injured and orphaned during a wildfire in B.C.'s Shuswap region has been rescued and is recovering.

The BC Conservation Officer Service shared the story on Facebook Thursday, saying the cub was first spotted in the Skwlāx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw First Nation last week. The area has been devastated by the Bush Creek East wildfire, with more than one-third of structures destroyed, officials have said.

"Conservation officers worked with the Skwlax Nation to monitor its movements and any bear activity in the area. Unfortunately, a sibling of the cub was put down due to its severe injuries from the fire. There was no sighting of a sow, which is also believed to have perished in the fire," the social media post said.

"Although unfortunate the cub was orphaned, its survival is welcome news for the Secwepemc community and Conservation Officers, who have been dealing with wildlife injured by wildfires."

The cub suffered burns to its paws but has been safely relocated to the Northern Lights Wildlife Society, a rehabilitation facility in Smithers and is expected to make a full recovery, conservation officers said.

Earlier this summer, as wildfires scorched a record number of hectares in B.C., the director of the Smithers organization told CTV News that they were expecting an influx of orphaned or injured animals.

“Wildlife will be displaced. There will also be a lot of animals that will be dying because of the fires,” Angelika Langen said.

Another concern for wildlife is a scarcity of food due to the combined impact of fires and drought. In some instances, this has led animals to seek out and scavenge rotting food from evacuated properties, something wildfire fighting crews have said creates an additional safety issue.