The B.C. Conservation Officer Service confirmed it has been in contact with a B.C. First Nation after two grizzly bears were killed in their territory.
The Lil’wat Nation, near Mount Currie, north of Whistler, shared that on Nov. 4, twin grizzly bears that had been spotted in the community before had been killed due to safety concerns.
After posting about the incident on Facebook, many people have criticized the Nation, saying there could have been another resolution. The First Nation did not return Global News’ email or phone call.
The Conservation Service said the incident occurred on Lil’wat Nation reserve lands. Officers are working to understand the circumstances that led to the bears’ deaths, the organization said.
According to Skalúlmecw Chief Dean Nelson, the bears were born in February 2023 in the Upper Lillooet River Basin.
By September 2023, the twin bears and their mother were well-known in the community, but the Nation began to hear they were being harassed by a tour company, which they then shut down.
The mother was no longer seen after June 2024 and the Lil’wat Nation said it notified the Conservation Officer Service and the Coast to Cascades-Grizzly Bear Initiative to avoid any possible human-bear conflicts and to teach the bears to avoid any human-specific areas.
“We discussed various strategies, including aversive conditioning, hazing and relocation,” the Nation said in a statement.
“Coast to Cascades did not recommend relocating the animals, based on a number of factors that would risk the bears safety. Relocating yearling cubs during the hyperphagias stage could pose risking them not knowing where to find enough food to sustain them for winter hibernation, relocating into another bear’s territory could result in being mauled by another bear, and very often relocated bears manage to return to the original location after being relocated.”
Wildlife guide Ellie Lamb said the young bears were likely sticking around because that is a place their mom taught them was safe.
“They find food in those areas, natural and unnatural,” she said.
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“They also will be learning what the rules are, which I know, there is some good people trying to teach them where they can go and not go. And bears are very good. They didn’t spend thousands of years evolving and not being able to learn. Of course, they can learn places that are comfortable and not comfortable, so they’re willing to follow quite nicely boundaries that we set.”
Lamb said grizzly bear cubs tend to stay with their mothers for up to three-and-a-half years, so the young bears likely did not know how to fend for themselves fully.
Coast to Cascades decided to proceed with a hazing strategy for the bears, using deterrents to move the bears out of an area or discourage undesirable behaviour.
The bears continued to be seen in the community with many people posting updates on social media.
On Oct. 30, the Nation received a report that the bears had gotten into a farm and eaten chickens, ducks and guinea fowl.
“In addition, it was confirmed that their bears scat contained household garbage,” the Nation said.
“These facts increased the likelihood that bears would not return to their original habitat.”
The Nation said that on Nov. 2 the bears were shot and killed by a member during a “close encounter.
“Despite shouting, banging pots together, and dogs barking, the bears’ behaviour remained unafraid. The community member repeatedly requested assistance with this concern, including from the Conservation Office. Líl̓wat Nation reached out to Conservation again requesting that they take action. (Neither the Nation nor Coast to Cascades is authorized to initiate action during these types of close encounters with bears.),” according to the statement.
The Conservation Officer Service had previously recommended killing the male bear and relocating the female bear with a collar, according to the Nation, but both bears were ultimately killed.
However, in a statement, the Conservation Officer Service said while they were present at that meeting, they did not make any statements recommending the destruction or relocation of the grizzly bears.
The Nation released a statement on Facebook on Nov. 4, letting the public know that the bears had been killed, a ceremony where a tobacco offering was made had been held, and that the animals had been buried.
Lamb said bears do not come into communities to look for problems.
“They come into communities because they’re looking for a safe place and where there is no problems,” she said.
“And what they’re trying to avoid are the bigger, more dominant bears on the outside of the community or wolves or floods or fires.”
Lamb said patience is key when trying to coexist with bears.
“As much as it is a privilege to have them around, it also is something that they have their own lives and they will leave,” she added.
The First Nation said it is working on finding a way to move forward.
“The Líl̓wat Nation hopes to continue to work together with Coast to Cascade,” Nelson said.
“It’s strongly recommended that community members learn more about the programs Coast to Cascade has in place that can help remove attractants from yards and learn more about finding ways to coexist with our bear kin. We all have a responsibility to recreating a balance in our relationship to the bears of our area.”
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