Judy Stearns, the president and owner of Black Bear Rescue Manitoba, is currently caring for three 10-week-old black bear cubs who have been distressed and traumatized since their mother was shot and killed near their den just north of Balmoral. The cubs, two females, and one male, have been vocalizing for their mother, with the male cub particularly showing signs of distress by screaming and struggling to eat.
According to Manitoba conservation officials, the mother bear was illegally shot between 7:30 p.m. on March 30 and 1 p.m. on March 31. Conservation officers are actively investigating the incident and urge anyone with information to contact Selkirk conservation officers or the turn-in-poachers tip line.
It is against provincial regulations to kill a female black bear with cubs, as outlined in the 2025 provincial hunting guide. Stearns expressed her disappointment over the situation, mentioning that the den’s location was disclosed online weeks before the incident, potentially leading to the mother bear’s demise.
Stearns received numerous concerns from individuals regarding people driving by to take pictures of the nursing mother bear and her cubs, causing potential disturbances. She emphasized the vulnerability of the mother bear and the danger posed to the cubs without their mother’s protection in the wild.
The cubs will undergo Black Bear Rescue Manitoba’s program to be nurtured and eventually reintroduced into the wild before denning season. The province advises maintaining a safe distance from black bears, emphasizing that they are intelligent and shy creatures that typically avoid human contact.