BC Wildlife Rescue Says Province Blocking Approvals to Save Orphaned Animals
- Northern Lights Wildlife Society, a Smithers-based wildlife rehabilitation centre operating for more than 30 years, is being blocked from rescuing orphaned animals by provincial biologists assigned to manage...
- Langen stated that the organization attempted to secure approvals throughout the summer for various fawns and moose calves, receiving consistent rejections, and now faces similar denials for incoming...
- Langen reported that the society was told ungulates could not be approved for rescue due to concerns over chronic wasting disease.
Northern Lights Wildlife Society, a Smithers-based wildlife rehabilitation centre operating for more than 30 years, is being blocked from rescuing orphaned animals by provincial biologists assigned to manage the Omineca region in British Columbia, according to executive director Angelika Langen. The dispute centers on changes implemented in May, when the Fish and Wildlife Section Head for the Omineca Region contacted Langen to state that Conservation Officers could no longer provide wildlife rescue approvals. Instead, according to Langen, all requests must be submitted to the section head by email during business hours, resulting in universal rejections across multiple species.
Impact on Wildlife Rescues in the Omineca Region
The Omineca region covers Prince George, Fort St. James, Mackenzie, and Vanderhoof. Langen stated that the organization attempted to secure approvals throughout the summer for various fawns and moose calves, receiving consistent rejections, and now faces similar denials for incoming autumn bear cubs. Although rescue approvals are officially determined on an individual basis, Langen noted that “no” has been the universal answer from the region. The Ministry of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship stated that no blanket prohibition exists on the rehabilitation and release of wildlife in the Prince George region, adding that decisions are made case-by-case considering animal welfare and population health. The ministry confirmed that Northern Lights Wildlife Society holds a valid Wildlife Act permit for the Omineca area.
Reasons Cited for Denials and Public Safety Concerns
Langen reported that the society was told ungulates could not be approved for rescue due to concerns over chronic wasting disease.
Chronic wasting disease is, in B.C., only in a very small part of the Kootenays and has been shown nowhere else. In our mind, therefore it is not a reason to exclude orphaned deer and moose from help. It was terrible to just stand by and watch them die.
Angelika Langen, Northern Lights Wildlife Society
Regarding bear cubs, Langen was informed that cubs at this time of year can survive independently, especially if paired. However, she warned that orphaned cubs frequently access human attractants and become nuisance animals that ultimately must be destroyed.
They’ll get into garbage and then come back next year when they are 150 pounds and they’re not cute anymore and the neighbours don’t want them,
Langen said, noting that the society relocates such animals to remote wilderness areas where they have a fair chance at survival.
Legal Action and Future Policy Concerns
While Northern Lights operates across British Columbia—excluding the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island—the Omineca region is the area where the society is encountering these operational hurdles. Langen advocates for standardized regulations guaranteeing that wildlife orphaned by human activity has a right to rewilding consideration under defined parameters. Without an active rescue service in the area, Langen expressed concern that well-meaning citizens will attempt DIY rescues, leaving animals habituated to humans and unequipped for survival. In response to the ongoing denials, the society has retained legal counsel and filed an appeal with the Environmental Appeal Board.
