The Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter (NLWS) is hoping for a Christmas miracle after a bear cub was brought into their care weighing less than a third of what it should.

The conservation office gave the shelter a cub they found in Telkwa last week.

Shelter owner Angelika Langen said he came to them in such horrible condition they werenB次元官网网址檛 sure he was going to survive. A bear his age at this time of the year should weigh between 50 and 75 lbs but he is only 12 lbs.

B次元官网网址淗e is skin and bones, he is tiny,B次元官网网址� said Langen, but after a couple of nerve-wracking days, she thinks he is on the mend.

B次元官网网址淚t is an amazing story of survival, and IB次元官网网址檓 pretty sure he is going to be OK because he is already huffing and puffing at me.B次元官网网址�

This new little cub isnB次元官网网址檛 the only one in their care currently giving them a run for their money. Recently they discovered one cub with a gunshot wound.

B次元官网网址淲e really didnB次元官网网址檛 expect to find something like this. In the over 500 bears weB次元官网网址檝e never found something like this. The wound was infected and the bullet was embedded between the ear and the eye, he was lucky. It couldB次元官网网址檝e easily gone into the ear or eye and caused some major damage. Having that in there wasnB次元官网网址檛 a good thing but now that it has been removed it will heal and he will never remember that it was there.B次元官网网址�

The bear, out of Merritt, is still eligible for release.

Langen forwarded the information to the conservation office in Merritt but she doubts they will be able to find the culprit. NLWS does not receive government funding and relies on sponsors and donors.

Their biggest fundraiser of the year is now going on. The tree outside of the Feed Store in Smithers has been strung with Christmas lights and a bulb will be illuminated for every $25 donation. It will be updated every Saturday from now until Christmas. Donations can be made on the shelterB次元官网网址檚 website.