Rossland Mayor Kathy Moore missed a council meeting this week because she was busy transporting an orphaned bear cub from Christina Lake to Kamloops.
Moore said for the last few years she has volunteered to help orphaned wildlife get to rehabilitation centres, including ones in Langley and Smithers.
“In this case I took the cub from Christina Lake to Kamloops and then at Kamloops it gets on a truck. The trucking company is so generous. They take it up for free.
“It’s possible there are two [cubs] over there, but we were able to humanely trap the one and then transfer it by car up to the Northern Lights rehabilitation centre [in Smithers], which is a fantastic place that deals with bear cubs.”
How did the cub fare on its journey? “Just great. There was a little bit of crying initially and then it curled up and went to sleep for most of the trip.”
Moore said over the summer a bobcat kitten was found in Casino and she was tasked with driving it to Osoyoos. She stayed with Osoyoos mayor Sue McKortoff, and both delivered the animal to representatives from Critter Care in Langley.
“They were quite impressed to have two mayors show up,” Moore laughs.
Moore says the animal transports are co-ordinated by the BC Conservation Officer Service. The animals are placed in crates containing pellets, straw, and food and then placed in the back of a car or truck.