Passion and commitment are the qualities that define Angelika Langen. Immigrating to Canada from Germany in 1982, alongside her husband, she co-founded and manages the Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter – a pioneer in the world of animal rehabilitation. Though her 24/7 work involves helping numerous species return to the wild, she is best known for launching the world’s first grizzly bear rehabilitation program. A certified animal keeper, having cut her teeth at the age of 17 working at the Cologne Zoo, Angelika co-starred in Animal Planet’s Wild Bear Rescue and is one of the leading voices on wildlife rehabilitation.
After a morning’s work of caring for an orphaned bear, Angelika took the time to speak with Nature Labs by Skype to share her thoughts on the importance of the individual and the value of rehabilitation in a world of finite resources.
Find her on LinkedIn.
What do you think?
- Does one individual matter?
- In an era of few resources, should we be spending the money to rehabilitate animals that have been orphaned because of human action?
- Is it ethical to do this when faced with the loss of entire species? Is it unethical to know you can save an animal and wilfully to decide not to?
- Is helping individual animals how humans can be mobilized to care for entire species? And does it have to be an either/or question?
More on Angelika
Read the articles: About Northern Lights Wildlife Society, Hungry and homeless: B.C. wildfires are forcing bears out of critical habitats
Watch the Series: Wild Bear Rescue