Albertans opened their pockets and gave generously to the annual “Give the Gift of Saving Wildlife" fundraiser by the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC), just north of Calgary, where an orphaned black bear cub rescued in Westlock last fall is being rehabilitated.
The annual campaign with the non-profit organization ran from Nov. 22 to Dec. 31 and surpassed its goal of $85,000, raising more than $100,000 for the AIWC and the wildlife it cares for. In 2023 the institute released over 400 rehabilitated patients including a wood frog and a trio of black bear cubs.
“We surpassed our goal with over $101,000 raised,” said acting executive director, Katrina Terrill. “This money will not only go towards supporting our current patients in care but will also help us get ready for the busy spring/summer of 2024.”
She noted that every donation helps care for wildlife in need and help ensure that AIWC can continue to support its mission of rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing injured and orphaned wild animals.
The Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation, accredited through the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association, celebrated a milestone in 2023, marking 30 years that it’s been rehabilitating injured and orphaned wildlife.
This year, the orphaned black bear cub from Westlock and an American Kestrel, a wildfire survivor, are expected to have extended stays at the at the AIWC, well into 2024. The extended stay is required to ensure their survival once returned to the wild, noted AIWC communications coordinator Scottie Potter, who added that food, medical care, and enclosure maintenance are some of the expenses that go into caring for long-term cases like these two.
Potter provided an update on the bear cub and said the he has made phenomenal progress in recent weeks.
“He is doing very, very well. His last weigh-in was Dec. 15 and he’s now over 32 kilograms. So that’s a huge bump up from the 13 kilograms he weighed when he first arrived. He looks like a proper bear now,” she said, noting his round, plump appearance. “We are so delighted and so thankful for everyone who donated and supported our fundraiser. It all goes to helping us take care of our various patients. Whether it’s those long-term patients we have right now or upcoming patients in 2024 … we are just so grateful for all of the support.”
Potter noted while there are several regular supporters of the AIWC, this year they have seen an increase in the number of people who stepped up to help out, possibly due to the popularity of Westlock’s black bear cub.
“For this fundraiser there was a lot of new donors and honestly, there were a lot of smaller donors – there was a lot of people donating smaller amounts and that was so helpful,” she said. “I think it’s definitely a possibility that our little bear helped us pull through (and reach our goal) … we can’t wait to return him to the wild. He has been a star I would say, as far as public awareness goes,” she added, noting as a registered non-profit, the donations are “so important to us.”
In addition to the annual fundraising campaign, the AIWC has also been hard at work on an educational video on the black bear cub, which is expected to be completed at the end of January and will be posted to the AIWC’s YouTube channel.
The AIWC continues to treat other injured or orphaned animals and has already cared for over 1,600 animals in 2023, most of which were brought in as the result of human conflict, noted Potter, including window strikes, injuries on barbed wire and vehicle collisions are just a few common reasons patients arrive at the AIWC. She said rehabilitation can cost up to $500 for an individual patient, particularly those who stay with them for several months.
For more information on the AIWC or for updates on the black bear cub, visit www.aiwc.ca.