Orphaned black bear cub checked in at Squamish hotel, melted hearts
Bear is now in care in Langley wildlife sanctuary, which has seen record numbers of orphaned, distressed bears
A bedraggled bear cub is melting the hearts of hotel staff in Squamish.
The thin male black bear showed up in October, and they took care of him until conservation officers could transfer him to Critter Care Wildlife Society in Langley which has seen record numbers of bears in need.
When he showed up at the Executive Suites Hotel and Resort he weighed approximately 15 pounds or 6.8 kilograms.
Hotel staff said he was hungry but hardly threatening, and they said he was probably orphaned.
"We learned that mama bear had been killed by a car on the Sea-to-Sky Highway. This cub had been left as an orphan," Jared Sissons, general manager at the hotel told CBC earlier in November.
His staff grew fond of the spindly bear and took on the cost of rehabilitating the animal.
26 distressed bears in 2015
"This year is like an unprecedented year for bear cubs," said Angela Fontana of Critter Care, who said they have admitted 26 bears in 2015 alone.
She blames poor berry crops and forest fires for driving up numbers of orphaned and distressed bears.
The hotel staff that adopted this bear are having fundraisers to keep sending Critter Care the $250 a month needed for the cub's care.
