Bear enthusiasts have said they fear the three orphaned cubs in Sooke will 鈥渟lowly starve to death鈥� if they are not trapped and rehabilitated soon.

The black bear triplets, estimated to be 10 months old and described as 鈥渉ealthy鈥� by wildlife experts, have been on the lam for over three weeks after they were left orphaned on Nov. 14, when their mother was hit by a vehicle and killed.

The Conservation Officer Service (COS) has been liaising with provincial wildlife biologists from the Ministry of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship (WLRS) and the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre to facilitate the safe capture and transfer of the cubs.

In an update on Dec. 3, a COS spokesperson said they are continuing to monitor sightings of the cubs made by Sooke locals to the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) hotline.

Despite multiple sightings, the cubs have so far evaded capture.

News of the cubs鈥� plight has been shared across the province, with many raising concern time is running out for the trio.

鈥淚 think they are just passing the buck hoping the bears will die,鈥� said Dee Kruger. 鈥淸Just] let mother nature takes it course.鈥�

Bear behaviour expert and bear-viewing guide Ellie Lamb agrees the cubs鈥� fate has been sealed if they are not rescued.

She says it is 鈥渦nlikely鈥� the cubs will survive the winter alone.

鈥淚f they did, their body condition would not likely allow them to carry on past next year, even early next spring,鈥� said Lamb.

But, according to WLRS, orphaned black bear cubs at their age and in good condition at this time of year can successfully forage on natural foods and den without the sow.

鈥淚f the capture and transfer of the cubs to a permitted rearing facility is deemed necessary by provincial wildlife biologists with the WLRS, the COS will assist with these efforts,鈥� said a spokesperson in an emailed statement.

While the WLRS did not give more information, research from the Wildlife Research Institute suggests that black bear cubs without mothers have demonstrated self-sufficiency at five months of age when food was sufficient.

Sooke resident and former district councillor Kerrie Reay says efforts should have been made immediately to trap the bears when they took refuge up a tree in the days after the sow鈥檚 death.

鈥淲hat upsets me is that Conservation knew where these cubs were,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hy didn't they get here right away and get those traps up, those cubs would have been thirsty and hungry.

鈥淚 just don't feel that Conservation has put in the effort.鈥�

Both Reay and Lamb have said if the cubs do survive the winter, come next year they will be considered as 鈥榶earlings鈥�, with intervention from COS and WLRS 鈥渦nlikely鈥� if they are unhealthy and in poor condition.

鈥淭hese cubs need to be captured, today if possible,鈥� said Reay. 鈥淣o more sitting in the background waiting for nature to take its course. Because nature didn't take their mama, we did.鈥�

COS has asked the public to continue reporting sightings of the three cubs to the RAPP hotline at 1-877-952-7277.