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A family boating on Okanagan Lake in British Columbia rescued a struggling bear cub last weekend, naming it "Boo Boo." The cub was cold and unable to swim properly when they found it; after warming it up with cheese, the family called for help but received little guidance from authorities. Conservation officers did not visit the scene despite the family’s efforts to alert them. WildSafeBC advised people to avoid contact with wildlife and reminded that black bears are generally good swimmers, making human intervention uncommonly necessary.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On September 12, a family boating on Okanagan Lake near Vernon, B.C. rescued an exhausted baby bear cub that was struggling to swim in the middle of the lake. The cub, named Boo Boo by the rescuers, was shivering and barely able to paddle when they found it. Despite contacting the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (COS) for guidance, the family was advised over the phone to release the cub back into the wild without assistance from officers on-site. This left the Zamniuk family concerned about the bear's welfare and how authorities handled the situation. The Northern Lights Wildlife Society later sent a team to monitor the area where Boo Boo was released near Chief Saddlemen Road in Parker Cove, but the cub’s fate remains uncertain due to lack of follow-up from officials.
Written for “Baby Bear Rescued Okanagan Lake” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
'He could barely paddle anymore': B.C. family rescues bear cub from Okanagan Lake
Family left with concerns around how authorities responded to their calls
A B.C. family was boating on Okanagan Lake last weekend when they spotted a baby bear cub struggling to keep its head above water and pulled it onto their boat.
uncertain
cub → paddle → boat
Initially, the Zamniuk family wasn’t worried about the cub, but the situation quickly changed.
asserted
situation → change → cub
"All of a sudden, his little nose kept going under the water and he was blowing little bubbles," said Christina Zamniuk.
asserted
Zamniuk → keep → bubbles
"He could barely paddle anymore."
uncertain
He → paddle → ?
She said after her family got the cub, who they named "Boo Boo," on board, it was visibly shivering and shaking from the cold water.
asserted
it → say → water
The Zamniuks fed the cub some cheese while it warmed up in the sun.
asserted
it → feed → sun
Reporting it
The family immediately called the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (COS) and the B.C. SPCA, who directed them to bring the cub to shore and avoid interacting with it more than necessary.
asserted
who → report → it
"Nobody was really much help," said Zamniuk.
asserted
Zamniuk → say → ?
Zamniuk explained that once they reached shore in the direction the cub had been swimming, it didn’t want to leave the boat.
asserted
it → explain → boat
"He wanted to stay with us.
asserted
He → want → us
So, we gave him a little shove and he plopped in the water, he swam to shore and we saw him run off into the woods.
asserted
him → give → woods
"
But the COS didn’t come to the scene or provide Zamniuk with any clarity on what could happen to the bear cub next.
uncertain
what → come → cub
"I gave him the address and everything," she said.
asserted
she → give → address
"They didn’t go."
asserted
They → go → ?
"They were just so adamant about us not touching the bear because I guess if you have your human scent on them or they get too used to people, then they can’t survive on their own."
Public reminder
The COS confirmed the incident in an email Sunday, and said its officers have not received any more reports of a suspected orphan bear cub in the area.
asserted
officers → touch → area
WildSafeBC, an educational program aimed at preventing conflict with wildlife, said in an email that the outcome was good for both the cub and the people who rescued it.
asserted
who → aim → it
3rd grizzly in family of 4 killed in B.C.'s West Kootenay
B.C. wildlife rescue says the province is blocking it from saving animals in Prince George region
A spokesperson from the Central Okanagan branch is reminding the public to avoid contact with wildlife and be extremely cautious around wild animals.
The organization said September is a very active time for bears, so encounters may occur more often.
uncertain
encounters → kill → bears
It added that if a bear cub is spotted, its mother is likely close by and could become defensive toward people near her cub.
uncertain
mother → add → cub
"Black bears are usually good swimmers, and this case is rare that the animal would need human intervention," the email read.
asserted
email → need → intervention
WildSafeBC said the COS should always be the first call if an animal is in distress.
asserted
animal → say → distress
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