By meadowlakeNOW

Local wildlife rescue helps baby black bear

Jun 15, 2018 | 11:00 AM

Healing Haven Wildlife Rescue’s Mark Dallyn is no stranger to rehabilitating black bears into the wild. Healing Haven is the only animal rescue in Saskatchewan permitted and equipped to do so, but this year’s rescue was definitely a team effort.

A six-month-old male black bear was discovered in May by an RCMP officer near Kamsack, Sask., weak and emaciated in a ditch. The officer was able to get the help from Living Sky Wildlife Rehab, based in Saskatoon, and the young bear eventually made his way up to Dallyn’s rescue in Dorintosh, after approval from the Ministry of the Environment.

Dallyn said the baby bear’s health has been steadily improving since its arrival.

“He is now putting on weight like there’s no tomorrow,” Dallyn said. “He’s acting much more normal like a feisty little bear cub again.”

Once the bear starts to grow and gets past the initial care phase, Dallyn said it will be moved out to a large enclosure where it will start to learn important skills like foraging for bugs, berries, roots.

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“We keep the human interaction to as low as possible,” Dallyn said. “We try to disguise ourselves as best we can. It’s important to keep them as close to their natural upbringing as we can, because it’s healthy for them … We also don’t want to put anyone in danger.”

The bear will be likely stay with Healing Haven Rescue until at least May or June of 2019. Dallyn will be in contact with the Environment Ministry to regularly inspect the enclosure, and once the bear is ready officials will consult with Dallyn about the best place to release it back into the wild.

Dallyn has been rehabilitating animals most of his life, but the first black bear cubs he worked with came to the rescue in 2010.

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca

On Twitter @ReporterKath