Black Bear Rescue Manitoba
Box 585 R0C 2Z0 Stonewall, MB, Canada

We could use help with our fall cleanup of enclosures now that the bears are gone, so I thought it would be fun to have working interviews at the rescue and a meet and greet for anyone interested in joining our team and volunteering next year! We’re having set times throughout the day Thur, Nov. 5 and Fri, Nov. 6 because the weather is so great...a chance for us to chat and for you to try out one of the main activities at the rescue....picking up bear poop! Due to COVID ...only 1 person will be here at a time and we’ll be working outdoors, wearing masks and social distancing. Who we’re looking for; - we prefer volunteers who live in the Stonewall area, for winter driving or in case of short-notice help needed, but not essential if you don’t mind the drive - must have empathy for animals and an interest in animal welfare issues You would be helping the cubs by; - syringe or bottle feeding - helping them toilet/relieve themselves - measuring/mixing formula - cleaning crates, bedding, picking up their waste - writing notes/record keeping - sorting and chopping produce - general cleaning of building/facilities Training provided but abilities/experience in the below would be helpful; - handling small animals and comfortable being around larger animals - syringe or bottle feeding newborn/small animals - good eyes and steady hands if syringe feeding and measuring formula - no need to be super fit, but must be able to lift 25 lbs, carry heavy pails, and do plenty of raking and bending to retrieve items on ground Hours; - we need help around the clock Jan - Feb if we receive very young cubs (like Izzy this year) and morn, afternoon, evenings from Feb - Oct. We’re looking for people with flexible hours who could do a variety of shifts, or are able to commit to a set shift. - shifts are 2-3 hours, overnights 6-7 hours - ideally we’d like the same staff all season (for the bears’ sake, to keep the number of different people to a minimum) but Jan - May, or May to Oct commitments could work - we could use your help daily(!) but a minimum 3 - 4 shifts per week is required Helping and seeing orphaned bear cubs grow big and strong and ready to face the world again is very rewarding and this is a unique opportunity that not many people get, so if it sounds like a good fit we hope you’ll consider applying! Please only respond if you’re able to stop in Nov. 5 or 6 for an hour (will most likely have other opportunities/interviews in future) and send a short letter outlining why you’d like to help the cubs, what shifts/times you could do, and any relevant experience to Judy at; [email protected]. Thank you! ps; as luck would have it, our email is acting up today....if I haven’t replied, please message me instead, thx!

The story of Lionel & Louise, and their friendship with Karla & Koda. Thank you Shaw Spotlight!

A few more moments with the cubs....

It’s that time again....all of this year’s bears at BBRM will soon be released back to the wild. We put gps collars on our bears in order to do post-release monitoring. Because of this I am pleased to let you know that all 7 bears released last October....Casper, Dudley, Ernie, Esther, Flynn, Hazel and Helena....denned soon after release as expected and emerged from their dens in mid April to early May, and went on their way. Interestingly, all the bears split up within a d...ay or two of being released and denned by themselves, the exception being Hazel and Helena (the Thompson twins) who stayed together all winter. While our human wishes may have been for buddies Casper and Dudley and siblings Ernie and Esther to have remained together, the choice is the bears’ once they have their freedom. Another benefit of collaring the bears is that the following summer (long after they have vacated the area) we’re able to visit their den sites and see where they spent the winter. It’s an amazing look into the bears’ world... See more

Shaw Spotlight tells the story of Karla & Koda...