Quebec Bear Release

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Flossie, our resident moose, was solemnly regarding the entire situation. Flossie had come to the Sanctuary as a very small calf, with some injuries to her rear legs. Though she grew well, the crippling condition was evident, so, because we weren’t certain she would make it through the deep winter snows, we released her right at the sanctuary. That was three years ago. She now feels that her input into everything that happens is important. So, while Tony and Ben were busy tranquillizing twelve bear cubs, carrying them on a stretcher to the round blue kennels in which each would travel, Flossie stood to one side, watching.

She was free. The bear cubs were on their way to freedom. We had already released more than twenty, taking them farther north where their safety was more assured, these twelve had come from Quebec, and had to be returned to Quebec. That’s politics. (The bears spoke just as much English as they did French. However.)

Since Quebec does not have a bear sanctuary, we had been asked to care for the twelve orphans - one of whom was Buddy, the well known bear who had been so badly abused. The others were all orphans, (the spring bear hunt continues in Quebec), and though not nearly so famous, certainly of equal importance as Buddy. International Fund for Animal Welfare had come to photograph and help us financially with the cost of the release - we deeply appreciated their help, and would have been drastically handicapped without it.

So Flossie was watching the bears being moved, humans taking pictures, making notes and asking questions - and totally ignoring her. She is not accustomed to being ignored . . .

Presently their kennels were all loaded into the trailer, and the van pulling the trailer, followed by a couple of cars, drove down the laneway, out around the bend and up the hill, and disappeared - the bears were on their way. The staff turned to the tremendous job of cleaning enclosures.

The trip was long – up through New Liskard, Noranda - across to Val-d’Or, and then south into the Reserve Faunique La Verendrye - where there is no hunting and the bears would be free to have a good life. The trip was very long - the bears awake and grumbling. And the photographers were anxious because the light was growing dim. Finally, they arrived at the carefully selected place - away back in the bush, over streams and around lakes - far far from humans.

And, of course, the rain began. The bears didn’t care. One by one the kennels were opened - opened in scattered places, but the bears had only one thing in mind: freedom. They didn’t stop to look back. They didn’t pose for photographs - they ran, out across an old logging bridge, under the evergreens, and away . . .

The cubs have a good chance of survival. The research which we did with the radio collaring of sixty cubs three years ago has indicated that they are well able to find sufficient food, to find dens for hibernation - to avoid humans, their most dangerous predators. The survival rate amongst those sixty bears was very high - and they did not become nuisance bears. Nine were the victims of hunters.

These twelve bears were free where no hunting is allowed.

And after they have gone away, a deep silence fills the gathering night. One cannot help but wonder what is going on in the mind of each bear. A little bewilderment? A little fear? And joy. I am certain of the Joy.

Back at the sanctuary, the staff were still cleaning out enclosures. And Flossie wandered back into the meadow to graze.

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