A dramatic rescue unfolded in the middle of Okanagan Lake when a family boating near Vernon came across a young bear struggling to stay afloat.
Christina Zamniuk and her family jumped into action after spotting the cub in the water on Saturday, Sept. 12.
“He was struggling to stay above the water,” Zamniuk said. “His little nose was going under, he was blowing bubbles, his back legs were not moving anymore.”
The family managed to get the bear onto their boat and safely out of the water.
They affectionately named the cub Boo Boo.
But what happened after the rescue has raised concerns for Zamniuk.
She says the family was surprised when conservation officers did not attend in person. Instead, they were advised over the phone to push the bear off the boat once they reached shore.
“They told us just to shove him off the boat. We didn’t want to do it,” Zamniuk said. “The fact that the conservation officers were just like, well, you know, we have to trap him, and we don’t know if we can do anything, and just let him go. He’ll be fine.”
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Reluctantly, the family followed the advice and released Boo Boo near the shoreline.
The cub was seen heading into the woods.
However, at an estimated 30 pounds, wildlife experts say the young bear faces significant challenges heading into winter with the odds of survival not in its favour.
“Very slim,” said Angelika Langen of the Northern Lights Wildlife Society.
“There’s still some time for it to gain weight for the winter, but normally we say they should have at least 50 pounds. If it’s a small cub, 50 pounds can sustain them through hibernation. Thirty pounds will not be able to do that.”
The Northern Lights Wildlife Society has sent a team to the area where the cub was released near the Chief Saddlemen Road in the Parker Cove area off of Westside Road near Vernon.
They are hoping to capture it and bring it into shelter for the winter before releasing it.
When asked why conservation officers did not pick up the cub after it was rescued from the water, the ministry responsible said it wasn’t a public safety issue.
However, Zamniuk says she feels conflicted about pushing the bear cub off the boat and hoping he makes it on his own.
“I don’t know if that doesn’t sit that well with me,” she said.
“And I can’t stop thinking about him.”
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