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
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'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.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.