Parks Canada is a leader in conservation and is committed to protecting our national parks and the wildlife that call them home.
Parks Canada is pleased to confirm that three black bear cubs, originally found in the Vermilion Lakes washroom in April 2017, have been returned to Banff National Park. The three orphans, now yearlings, are healthy and free in the backcountry of Banff.
The young bear cubs were originally found locked inside a public washroom near the Vermilion Lakes. An extensive search to locate the mother bear was unsuccessful and Parks Canada has never determined if the bears originated from Banff National Park or somewhere outside the park.
In order to provide the best chance for survival, Parks Canada transferred the bear cubs to the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Ontario with the intention of returning the animals to the mountain park landscape in 2018.
Parks Canada’s wildlife specialists recently transported the three yearlings to a remote setting in the backcountry of Banff National Park, where they will now have a second chance to live a natural life in the wild. We would like to thank the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary for their exceptional work in raising the bears over the last 15 months. Our collective efforts have provided the bear cubs with the best opportunity for success.
Source: Parks Canada