In the West Kootenay region, a third grizzly bear from a notable family of four bears has been euthanized. The mother bear and her three yearlings had been drawing attention in Nelson by roaming around the town. Concerns arose as they had become accustomed to human presence and were scavenging through yards and trash.
Earlier this month, the sow bear, previously relocated and returned to Nelson, was put down along with one of her yearlings, which wildlife officials deemed unsuitable for relocation due to its young age and health issues. The young bear displayed a limp, likely due to an injury or deformity.
Although the other two yearlings, a male and a female, were relocated, they reappeared in Christina Lake shortly after. While the female has moved away, the male persisted in frequenting residential areas and was considered unsuitable for another relocation attempt.
The male yearling was euthanized in line with provincial guidelines on handling human-wildlife conflicts, as announced by the B.C. Conservation Officer Service. Provincial wildlife biologist Garth Mowat noted the bears’ high level of habituation to people, primarily driven by their consumption of human food over the years. He mentioned that the translocation was a final attempt to save part of the bear family by encouraging them to return to natural food sources.
Andrew Milne from the B.C. Conservation Officer Service emphasized that decisions to euthanize wildlife are made only as a last resort, highlighting the emotional toll on officers. Mowat warned of increased bear activity in communities due to poor berry crops caused by drought conditions in the B.C. Interior. Residents were advised to eliminate potential attractants such as fruit trees, garbage, and bird feeders to minimize interactions with bears and mitigate human-wildlife conflicts.
