Bear cub expected to recover after suffering major burns in northern B.C.

Rescuers are calling it a Christmas miracle.

A bear cub rescued in northeastern British Columbia last week, who was found suffering from burn wounds, is now on the road to recovery.

On Dec. 20, the Northern Lights Wildlife Society was alerted to a bear cub in “dire need” of help near Dawson Creek and immediately sent a volunteer to find the young bear.

The crew found the baby animal, who had taken shelter at the base of a tree.

It was clear the next few hours would be critical to the cub’s survival.

“The gentleman who had reported the bear originally came out and helped her to get it into a transport box and then dug it out of the snow there and into the car,” said Angelica Langen, the society’s executive director.

“Then Renata [one of the volunteers] brought it to her place and started the slow warming process.”

Volunteers then travelled nearly nine hours through winter conditions to take the bear to Northern Lights in Smithers.

Staff determined the bear’s hibernation had likely been disturbed by a fire.

“We are assuming she was hibernating and that the slash pile that she was hibernating in was put on fire, and it burnt part of her fur off, her face, her front feet quite severely.”

Despite the harrowing journey, Langen is confident the cub, believed to have been born last January, will make a full recovery.

The goal is to see her return to the wild.

“She will be released in June, when she would normally leave her mother, so we just follow the natural timeline there.”

Given the name Valkyrie by her rescuers due to her strength and resilience, Langen is thankful to all those who provided this young cub with the best Christmas Gift of all — a second lease on life.

“It’s a huge community event every time we do a rescue,” she said.

“But around Christmas time, it took on a different meaning, and her story was so moving. So many people got involved, and we are so grateful.”