Rare white raven, bear cubs recovering at Vancouver Island wildlife centre
The North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre (NIWRC) in Errington is currently caring for a rare white raven and a pair of orphaned bear cubs.
NIWRC says the juvenile white raven came into the centre last week after it was found on the ground and unable to fly in the Oceanside area. It's one of only a handful of white ravens that have been cared for at the centre over the past 30 years.
The centre says typically white ravens have a compromised immune system and don’t make it to adulthood.
"We are hoping that in a captive situation we can overcome these hurdles," said Derek Downes, an animal care technician at NIWRC. "Get it’s immune system firing on a strong level, then perhaps we'll be able to succeed with this one."
The white raven is considered sacred to the Oceanside region and some have been spotted in the area off and on for several years.
It’s not clear what causes the white pigmentation of the ravens seen in the area, but it’s believed to be a recessive gene passed on by the black raven parents.
Meanwhile, NIWRC is caring for two sibling bears who were picked up by conservation officers near Woss, B.C. earlier this week after their mother had died.
The two bear cubs and are in good condition and are eating on their own, according to the animal centre.
The cubs were born in February and their prognosis looks very good to be released back into the wild next year.
"They’ll be in our care until probably next June," said Robin Campbell, founder and operations manager of NIWRC. "It’s going to be a journey and they’re going to have to pass many, many tests before they go home."
The recovery centre will have things come full circle in a couple of weeks when the three black bears they took in last year are expected to be released.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.