A Manitoba bear rescue organization’s owner has reported that three 10-week-old black bear cubs have been vocalizing for their mother for several days following her fatal shooting near their den located north of Balmoral earlier this week. Judy Stearns, the president and proprietor of Black Bear Rescue Manitoba, expressed concern for the young cubs—comprising two females and one male—who are currently under her care. She described them as distressed and traumatized, highlighting the male cub’s persistent cries for his mother and struggles with eating.
Authorities from Manitoba’s conservation department disclosed that the mother bear was unlawfully shot between 7:30 p.m. on March 30 and 1 p.m. on March 31, as per a social media post. Conservation officers are actively investigating the incident and urge anyone with relevant information to contact Selkirk conservation officers at 204-785-5080 or the turn-in-poachers tip line at 1-800-782-0076.
It is a violation of provincial regulations to kill a female black bear accompanied by cubs, as stated in the 2025 provincial hunting guide. Stearns suggested that the mother bear might have been spared if the den’s location near Balmoral, approximately 40 kilometers north of Winnipeg, had not been disclosed on social media about two weeks prior.
Expressing her frustration and disappointment, Stearns pointed out that public online posts revealing the bear and her den’s exact whereabouts led to numerous individuals driving by to view and photograph the mother bear nursing her cubs, potentially disturbing them in their den.
Stearns, an advocate for animal welfare, emphasized the vulnerability of the mother bear while nursing her cubs in an exposed area, noting that the cubs were not yet mobile enough to leave the den. She criticized the shooting, describing it as heartless and highlighting the risks the cubs now face without their mother’s protection.
Black bears are characterized as intelligent and shy animals by the province, which advises people to maintain distance and avoid feeding them. Stearns disclosed that the cubs will undergo Black Bear Rescue Manitoba’s program, where they will be nurtured and later reintroduced into the wild before denning season. CBC News has sought a comment from Natural Resources Minister Ian Bushie’s office.
