Grizzly bears once roamed from Alaska to Mexico and were found as far east as
Ohio. Today their range has shrunk and grizzly bears are designated as
a species
of special concern by the Committee on the Status of
Endangered Wildlife in
Canada (COSEWIC).
On July 12th Suzy
and Johnny, two orphaned grizzly bears were
released back to the wild. The bears were both fitted with special
collars that allowed two researchers to follow them throughout the
summer. Find out more about what Suzy and
Johnny have been
up to over the summer.
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©IFAW/Peter Langen |
©IFAW/Peter Langen |
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My Name is Suzy...
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My Name is Johnny...
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I was brought to the Northern Light Wildlife Society (NLWS) on June 26th 2007. Earlier in the Spring I was in the Monkman Provincial Park/Tumbler Ridge area with my mother and sibling. My mother disappeared, likely a victim of a poacher’s bullet. As a result, my sibling and I were left orphaned. Local conservation officers found us, but my sibling ran away from them. The officers took me to the shelter, and the staff began taking care of me. I was underweight and very frightened when I was brought to the shelter, but I am now very healthy and looking forward to returning to the wild.
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I was brought to the Northern Lights Wildlife Society (NLWS) on November 11th 2007. A week earlier I was crossing a road with my mother when she was hit by a semi-truck. Angelika Langen, Director of NLWS, found me digging for roots at the side of the road and rescued me. She took me to the NLWS bear centre, where I met another bear named Suzy. I am the second bear to enter the rehabilitation, and am looking forward to being released back into the wild.
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The Northwest population, found predominantly in British Columbia, includes all of Canada’s remaining grizzly bears. The Northern Lights Wildlife Society
(NLWS) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) with support from the British Columbia Ministry of Environment are working together to ensure that
orphaned grizzly bears are given a second chance.
