‘Bougie’ bear survives gunshot, now in recovery

A bear recovering at Bear With Us sanctuary, named "Bougie." (Bear With Us)

Staff say it will be a long road to recovery for one resident of a wildlife sanctuary after a traumatic injury.

In late June, staff at Bear With Us Centre, a wildlife sanctuary, were introduced to a bear who had suffered a gunshot wound among a series of other injuries.

Bear With Us is located in Sprucedale, north of Huntsville.

According to a social media post from the sanctuary, the bear was shot in the face, had a broken jaw and “puncture wounds” along his back, abdomen and face when he arrived.

The sanctuary estimates the injury occurred during an interaction with hunters and their dogs that likely led to the bear falling out of a tree.

The bear was then brought to Bear with Us by the Ministry of Natural Resources, where he underwent examination and treatment.

Along with his other injuries, the bear was treated for a bullet that reportedly entered from below head head, went up beside his skull, through facial muscles and out the top next to his ear.

The bear is now in recovery at the sanctuary.

The sanctuary has since come to name the bear “Bougie,” a slang term describing someone as high-class. The nickname was inspired based on Bougie’s dislike for any wet straw or dirt around him, staff say.

According to staff, Bougie’s favourite things in recovery are getting his area of residence cleaned and having fresh straw.