Underweight bear cub rescued from Slave Lake recovering at Alberta wildlife institute

A bear cub can be seen attempting to den in the backyard of a Slave Lake home in a video submitted to CTV News by a viewer.

An animal rescue organization north of Calgary has taken in an orphaned black bear cub found in the backyard of a Slave Lake home.

Officials say the underweight cub was attempting to den on someone’s deck.

He was taken to the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) in the hamlet of Madden.

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The cub weighed just 12.5 kilograms (28 lbs) upon intake – less than half the healthy weight for a cub his age.

Staff at AIWC suspect the cub’s mother was killed. They say without her guidance, he couldn’t gain the weight needed to hibernate.

“During intake, he was also found to have injuries to his paw and nose, possibly sustained while digging through crusted snow,” AIWC said in a news release.

Because of his poor health upon arrival, officials say it’s unlikely the cub will hibernate while in their care.

“It will take several months for him to regain the weight needed to survive in the wild,” AIWC said, adding it’s hoped he can be released into the wild in June 2026.