A young grizzly bear that gained national attention when a hunter shot its mother in northern B.C. has escaped from the Kicking Horse Grizzly Bear Refuge near Golden.

The bear, known as Boo, escaped on Monday after digging his way under a perimeter fence.

Refuge staff have been tracking the bear by helicopter, and say he's made a new friend — a wild, female grizzly.

Golden RCMP Cpl. Barry Kennedy said the pair were last seen heading further into the rugged terrain west of the mountain community.

"He's with a female grizzly bear sow. And for the two of them to travel back deeper into the bush is good for both of them."

Kennedy said Boo could be a safety concern if he decides to return to town, because he is habituated to human contact.

A spokesman for the refuge said the bear belongs back in his 22-acre enclosure. "It's critical that we do try and get him back as best we can, and we are working on that at this point in time," said Rusty Noble.

Boo and his brother were orphaned as seven-month-old cubs when a hunter shot their mother along the Barkerville highway near Quesnel in northern B.C. in 2002. The hunter was later fined $9,000.

The two cubs were moved to the Grouse Mountain Wildlife Refuge on the Lower Mainland for care, before taking up residence in Golden.

Boo's brother died during hibernation at the refuge in 2004.