Yukon bear cub returned to wild, reunited with mom
Couple picked up 'orphaned' cub near Mayo
A black bear cub has been reunited with its mother near Mayo, Yukon, after a couple mistakenly picked it up thinking it had been orphaned.
Yukon Conservation Officer Kevin Johnstone says last month the couple spotted the cub wandering near Mayo.
"They just observed the bear for about 45 minutes and after not seeing a sow within the area they deemed the animal to be abandoned," he says.
The couple picked it up and brought to wildlife officials. Johnstone says the bear was dehydrated and under-nourished. He watered and fed it and then searched for its mother.
"We just travelled the area," he says. "We located the sow and we released the cub."
He says two weeks later the sow and cub were spotted and appeared to be doing well.
Carmen Smith, spokesperson for WildWise Yukon, a group working to prevent negative wildlife encounters and conflict, says while this story has a happy ending she advises people against approaching wildlife.
"Leave them alone, because a lot of them haven't been abandoned but the adults or the mother will not feel comfortable approaching," she says.
If you do have concerns about an animal, call Environment Yukon's 24-hour TIPP Line, 1-800-661-0525.