CALGARY — A young black bear cub rescued from the middle of Okanagan Lake last week is now the subject of a search by wildlife rescuers who say the animal may face difficulty surviving the winter on its own.The cub, nicknamed “Boo Boo,” was spotted struggling in the water by the Zamniuk family while they were boating near Vernon on Sept. 12.According to Global News, Christina Zamniuk said the cub appeared exhausted and was repeatedly slipping beneath the surface.“His little nose was going under,” Zamniuk told Global News. “He was blowing bubbles. His little back legs were not moving anymore.”The family managed to get a rope around the cub and bring it aboard their boat, where they kept it warm for roughly an hour. Zamniuk said the family contacted the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (COS) and the B.C. SPCA for guidance..According to reports, conservation officials advised the family to bring the cub close to shore and release it. The cub eventually entered the water, swam to shore and disappeared into nearby woods. The situation took a more uncertain turn after the rescue.Global News reported Monday that the cub weighs an estimated 30 pounds. Angelika Langen of the Northern Lights Wildlife Society said that is significantly below the weight the organization would normally want to see in a young bear approaching hibernation.“There’s still some time for it to gain weight for the winter, but normally we say they should have at least 50 pounds,” Langen said.The Northern Lights Wildlife Society has since sent a team to the area where the cub was released near Chief Saddlemen Road in the Parker Cove area, west of Vernon. The organization is hoping to locate and capture the bear so it can potentially receive care through the winter before being released back into the wild.It is not clear whether the organization has successfully located the cub..WildSafeBC has emphasized that people should contact the Conservation Officer Service when wildlife is in distress and avoid intervening themselves. The organization said black bears are generally strong swimmers and described the Okanagan Lake incident as an unusual case requiring human intervention.The organization also cautioned that a bear cub found alone may have its mother nearby, making close contact potentially dangerous.The Northern Lights Wildlife Society, which operates a wildlife rehabilitation facility near Smithers, specializes in the rehabilitation and release of black bears and other wildlife.As of publication, wildlife rescuers are attempting to determine whether Boo Boo can be located and whether the young bear requires rehabilitation before winter.
