A family from British Columbia on Okanagan Lake came across a baby bear struggling to stay afloat in the water over the weekend and rescued it onto their boat. Initially unconcerned, the Zamniuk family became alarmed as the cub began to struggle. Christina Zamniuk described the cub’s distress as it started to sink and struggle to swim.
After bringing the cub, named “Boo Boo,” onto their boat, the family noticed it was shivering from the cold water. They fed the cub cheese to help it warm up in the sun. The family promptly contacted the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (COS) and the B.C. SPCA, who advised them to bring the cub to shore and minimize interaction.
Despite encountering challenges, the family managed to guide the cub back to the shore it had come from. The cub hesitated to leave their boat but eventually swam to shore and disappeared into the woods. The COS did not arrive on the scene, leaving the family uncertain about the cub’s future.
The COS later confirmed the incident and mentioned no further reports of orphan bear cubs in the area. WildSafeBC commended the family for their actions, emphasizing the importance of avoiding contact with wildlife, especially during active bear seasons like September. They highlighted the rarity of such situations where human intervention is needed for bear cubs and stressed the significance of contacting the COS in distress situations.