As the fate of B.C. conservation officer Bryce Casavant is being determined by a union grievance hearing, the two bear cubs he saved are doing what bears do in the winter.

They are hibernating.

Jordan and Athena, now each a year old, became international celebrities in July of last year when Casavant defied government orders and refused to kill them.

Because of that decision, the cubs are today sleeping peacefully in a man-made enclosure at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre near Parksville, biding their time until they will be reintroduced into the wild later this year.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e doing really, really well,B次元官网网址� NIWRC wildlife manager Julie Mackey said. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e in an enclosed facility with six other cubs. They eat a lot and sleep a lot and chase each other around.B次元官网网址�

The chasing has been less common since early December when the cubs went down for their mid-winter snooze. Rising temperatures will probably push them out of their den soon. Mackey said they should be ready for release B次元官网网址� likely at an undisclosed north Island location B次元官网网址� some time this spring or summer.

The goal of the centre is to keep wild animals as independent and isolated from humans as much as possible until they are healthy enough B次元官网网址� or, in this case, mature enough B次元官网网址� to survive in the wild. For Jordan and Athena, everything is happening according to plan.

B次元官网网址淭hey see us for a short period, but they really havenB次元官网网址檛 been hands-on since they came here,B次元官网网址� Mackey said. B次元官网网址淲e want them to be wild bears so that they run away like normal bears. TheyB次元官网网址檙e not showing any behaviour different from the other cubs.B次元官网网址�

Lack of comfort around humans has been central to the cubs' survival.

They received worldwide attention when Casavant disobeyed an order from his superiors within B.C.B次元官网网址檚 Ministry of Environment to put them down after their mother was caught ravaging a freezer July 3 in Port Hardy.

He shot the mom as being too habituated to humans for rehabilitation, but determined the cubs did not meet the same standard and could be saved.

Casavant was originally suspended for his actions, then transferred out of the conservation officer service into another department at the same wage. His union grieved that move, asking an arbitrator to reinstate him to his original position.

B.C. Government Employees Union spokesperson Chris Bradshaw said Friday that CasavantB次元官网网址檚 hearing is being heard in two parts, the first which happened in January, the second which was scheduled for Feb. 6 and 8.

Bradshaw said he couldnB次元官网网址檛 say when the arbitrator would announce his ruling. In the meantime, Casavant remains employed by the ministry in the north Island area.

Boosted by the support of British comedian Ricky Gervais, an online petition for CasavantB次元官网网址檚 reinstatement started by Port HardyB次元官网网址檚 Vi-Anne Roberts has now passed a total of 309,000 signatures.

Roberts is hopeful the attention will make the ministry adjust the way it does business.

B次元官网网址淭he only lesson that needs to be learned here is by the government. Policies need to change, and change fast,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淥ur conservation officers are out there to 'conserve' whenever they can, however they can. Let them do their job morally, accordingly and properly.B次元官网网址�

Representatives for the ministry had not responded to questions about the case by the time of this posting, but Roberts has no doubt in her mind about how this situation should conclude.

B次元官网网址淚 consider what Bryce did for those cubs heroic, yes. He put his job on the line to save those cubs, and paid the ultimate price for doing so. It's a terrible shame,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 hoping that once released back into the wild they will adjust well.. and live long, uninterrupted lives.B次元官网网址�