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JUDY STEARNS PHOTOS<\/p>\n
One of three black bear cubs orphaned after someone shot their mother in their den.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did a post on our Facebook page to get the word out that people shouldn\u2019t be doing this,\u201d she said Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI said the reasons why: extra traffic and people may be approaching the bear and getting the bear habituated, and then less afraid of people. And then also my big concern, someone that doesn\u2019t like bears is going to go there in the dark of night and do something.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Judy\u2019s husband, Roger, went to the area to check on the bears and found the mother bear had been shot and killed. The pair are now caring for the mother\u2019s three orphaned cubs.<\/p>\n
Manitoba Conservation released a poster asking anyone with information about the shooting to call Selkirk conservation officers. The shooting is believed to have happened between 7:30 p.m., MondayMarch 30and 1 p.m., TuesdayMarch 31. The bear\u2019s body was located on the east side of Road 6E, a few kilometres north of Balmoral.<\/p>\n
A provincial spokesperson said no charges have been laid.<\/p>\n
Stearns is frustrated because she explicitly told the online community to keep the bear\u2019s location under wraps and tried to placate any fears from nearby residents.<\/p>\n
Social media posts viewed by the Free Press show multiple social media users discussing the location of the bear, posting photos of the mother and her cubs and some expressing fears the bear could encroach on nearby cattle farms.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t JUDY STEARNS PHOTO<\/p>\n In Manitoba, it is illegal to kill a black bear with cubs.<\/p>\n \u201cAt this time of year, bears are still at their den and they wouldn\u2019t be leaving their winter location for some time. She was not a risk to anyone, and it was an unfair situation,\u201d Stearns said<\/p>\n Stearns said she called Manitoba Conservation to warn them about the situation, but they told her there was little they could do.<\/p>\n \u201cSo that left it up to me,\u201d she said, noting she used her platform as a black bear rescuer to warn people not to approach the bears or disclose where the den was.<\/p>\n In Manitoba, it is illegal to kill a black bear with cubs, shoot one through the window of a vehicle or hunt bears out of season. Black bear hunting season begins April 28.<\/p>\n Roger Stearns does not believe the bear was hunted for meat or any body parts. When he checked the bear\u2019s corpse, it was still intact.<\/p>\n Bears coming out of hibernation in the spring pose little danger to humans and pets, and look to be left alone while they reintegrate back into nature, according to Chris Benson, manager of hunter education and programs for the Manitoba Wildlife Federation.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t SUPPLIED<\/p>\n Manitoba Conservation released a poster asking anyone with information about the shooting to call Selkirk conservation officers.<\/p>\n When they first emerge from their dens, bears seek to eat lots of greens to kick-start their digestive system. After that, they will begin to move away from their winter habitat to forage.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a rarity for bears to attack, as soon as they see a human or smell it, they tend to take off running. They want nothing to do with people,\u201d Benson said.<\/p>\n If backed into a corner, though, bears could become protective, and people going out into nature should be \u201cbear aware,\u201d Benson said.<\/p>\n If a bear den is located, people should alert only nearby residents, and the den should be left alone. However, people should be mindful of their garbage and bird feeders, as they can attract bears.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t According to provincial data, coyotes make up 75 per cent of wildlife damage compensation for livestock predation claims. Wolves make up 20 per cent of claims, while black bears, cougars and foxes make up the remaining five per cent.<\/p>\n Natural Resources Minister Ian Bushie said the province will work with the Black Bear Rescue to nurse the cubs back to health. Bushie urged people who encounter a bear that could pose a threat to call Manitoba Conservation.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t JUDY STEARNS PHOTO<\/p>\n Three black bear cubs were orphaned after someone shot and killed their mother.<\/p>\n The minister discouraged people from posting the location of animals on social media because it could put them in harm\u2019s way.<\/p>\n The orphaned triplets are Black Bear Rescue\u2019s first guests of 2026. Stearns has three yearling bears (a year old or that are in their second year) already in its care.<\/p>\n nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Nicole Buffie Nicole Buffie is a reporter for the Free Press city desk. Born and bred in Winnipeg, Nicole graduated from Red River College\u2019s Creative Communications program in 2020 and worked as a reporter throughout Manitoba before joining the Free Press newsroom as a multimedia producer in 2023. Read more about Nicole<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Nicole produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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