The NLWS Blog
Reading the NLWS blog provides insights into wildlife conservation, sanctuary activities, and animal stories, fostering awareness and understanding of wildlife and conservation issues.
Summer 2026: A Season of Rescues, Releases and New Beginnings
A Summer at NLWS
A look back at some of the animals, rescues and moments that made summer 2026 another memorable season.
Summer 2026: A Season of Rescues, Releases and New Beginnings
Summer is always one of the busiest times of year at Northern Lights Wildlife Society, and 2026 was no exception. The warmer months bring a steady stream of new rescues, young animals requiring intensive care, long days of preparation and, thankfully, the releases we spend so much of the year working toward. Things can change quickly. One day, we may be preparing a bear for its return to the wild; the next, we are responding to a call about another animal in urgent need of help.
Summer 2026
From Rescue to the Wild
Every animal arrives with a different story, but the goal remains the same: provide the care needed to recover while protecting the instincts needed to live independently in the wild.
Rescue
A rescue often begins with a call from someone who has noticed an animal in trouble. NLWS assesses the situation and, when intervention is appropriate, coordinates the people, equipment and travel needed to help.
Release season is especially meaningful to us because it is when months of hard work finally come together. By the end of July, 26 black bears had returned to the wild. Each arrived at NLWS under different circumstances, but our goal was the same for every one of them: to recover, remain wild and eventually become independent of us.
There is a tremendous amount of work between rescue and release. Feeding, medical care, observation, enclosure management and careful preparation are all essential parts of the process. But perhaps our most important responsibility is ensuring that these animals never become accustomed to people. Our goal is to care for them so that, one day, they will no longer need us.
While each rescue has it’s own importance, here are some examples: In July we received a call about an orphaned grizzly cub near Pink Mountain in northeastern British Columbia (a 10 hour drive one way). Wildlife rescue requires to act fast, patience, coordination and the ability to adapt as circumstances change. After several days of effort, the cub was successfully rescued and transported to NLWS.
Not long afterwards, Olive, an orphaned moose calf from the Dawson Creek area, joined us. Young moose require considerable care and close monitoring , particularly in their early stages, when they are still dependent on milk. It is always encouraging to watch a young animal settle in, gain strength and grow more confident.
Arriving safely at the shelter is only the beginning. From that point on, our focus shifts to recovery, growth and, ultimately, preparing the animal for a possible return to the wild when the time is right.
At the same time, we never lose sight of the fact that our role is temporary. We may become deeply invested in every animal that comes through our gates, but success is not measured by how comfortable they become with us. It is measured by whether they can eventually thrive without us.
Toward the end of August, another call brought us to Kispiox. A sow had been shot following a human-caused conflict, leaving two cubs behind. Conservation Officers confirmed that the cubs were born that year, and we received permission to attempt a rescue.
When we arrived, both cubs were high in a cottonwood tree. We spent hours observing them, hoping for a safe opportunity to tranquilize and capture them. Eventually, however, we had to set traps and give the cubs space. We returned the following day, searched the surrounding area and set an additional trap. There were signs that the cubs were still nearby, but no immediate opportunity to capture them after weeks of trying we finally pulled the traps to use in other rescues. Not every attempt is successful and it is hard to step away.
Cases like this are a reminder that wildlife rescue rarely follows a convenient schedule. Sometimes the work is urgent and dramatic. At other times, it means watching, waiting and making the best decisions possible with the information available. Wild animals set the pace, not us. Experience has taught us that patience can be just as important as action.
The summer also reminded us how many people contribute to wildlife rehabilitation across British Columbia. Our staff and on-site volunteers, government biologists, veterinarians, Conservation Officers, capture and transport volunteers, fellow rehabilitation organizations, donors and members of the public all play a part in these stories.
Very often, a rescue begins when someone notices an animal in trouble and takes the time to make a phone call. Those calls matter. They give us the opportunity to assess a situation and, when intervention is appropriate, provide the help an animal need.
After more than three decades of doing this work, the underlying process remains remarkably consistent. We rescue animals that genuinely need intervention, give them time and care to recover, take every precaution to ensure they remain wild and return them to suitable habitat when they are ready. Whenever possible, we continue to monitor them after release and learn from their progress. Every stage matters because each one contributes to the same ultimate goal: giving these animals the best possible chance of living independently in the wild.
Looking back on summer 2026, there were long days, many kilometres travelled and plenty of difficult decisions. There were also animals growing stronger, young bears learning to live independently and, most importantly, many different species disappearing into the forest where they belong at release time.
Those are the moments that make the difficult days worthwhile.
Thank you to everyone who supported Northern Lights Wildlife Society throughout another busy summer. Whether you donated, volunteered, transported an animal, shared one of our stories or simply cared enough to follow along and drop a encouraging note, you helped make this work possible.
At the heart of everything we do is a simple goal: to give wildlife a second chance without taking away what makes it wild. The greatest success is an animal that no longer needs us—one that is healthy, independent and ready to return to the life it was meant to live and together we make this goal reality!
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Summer 2026: A Season of Rescues, Releases and New Beginnings
My NLWS Experience
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Your donation saves Lives Donating to Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter saves wildlife by providing crucial resources for their care, such as food, shelter, and medical treatment. The shelter rescues and re-wilds injured or orphaned wildlife, giving them a second chance at life. Your donation can directly contribute to the well-being and survival of these vulnerable species.
