multi-use  rehabilitation facility

"BEAR" ENCLOSURE 1

Our state of the art enclosure, Bear Enclosure 1, features an 8ft. high game electric fence with 18" of overhang, sunk 4 ft into the ground with indigenous plants embedded within it. The enclosure spans 5 to 7 acres with natural habitat consisting of spruce groves and open country, plus a pond! Double entry gates provide access to an insulated building for housing neonate cubs and double entry doors/gate provide access to the outdoor section. This enclosure provides ample hunting, foraging and climbing opportunities so our carnivorous mammals are in the best shape they can be to thrive once released.

This enclosure was designed to comply with international standards for housing brown bears. Beginning in 2017, the Cochrane Ecological Institute began developing the concept of a project for the rehabilitation and release back to the wild of orphaned Bear cubs. Although the pen was specifically designed to Grizzly Bear cubs standards it can be used for Black Bear cubs as well.

The minimum size of an orphaned bear cub enclosure as required by the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council is 20m X 40m, and this is the size called for by AEP. ALL CEI enclosures are bigger than the minimum and all have natural substrate, water feature and trees.

The enclosure has a Closed Circuit TV system to facilitate Behavioural observations. Examples of the output can be seen below.

"bear pool" enclosure

Our "Bear Pool" is a 1 acre enclosure with natural substrate, featuring 8 ft high chainlink fencing, 4 strand electric
fencing plus single strand on 4 ft overhang and double entry doors. As well as being well tree'd, the enclosure has insulated housing with an interior view of the indoor den and outdoor enclosure from corridor. Separated by a steel exit door to the 1 acre, keeps our technicians safe. There is also a viewing point from above the enclosure for species monitoring. 

Our "Bear Pool" also opens into a separate enclosure that can be used for Bears or Lynx, consisting of two acres of natural substrate, 8 ft chainlink and 3 strand electric fence with double door entry.

During a winter release, the den is transported to the selected release site and left there. In the spring, the bears wake up from their hibernation and come out of the den, in their own time, to find themselves in a new world!

 Once the bears have left their transport/hibernation den, the den is winched back onto the trailer and brought back to CEI by Alberta Fish & Wildlife. All CEI bear releases are undertaken in partnership with the Alberta fish & Wildlife department. Previous bear releases have been undertaken in the late summer when wild food sources are plentiful, but with increased oil and gas exploration and increased logging it is getting harder and harder to find areas to release bears. 

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