WARNING: This post contains a photo of the deceased bear. Discretion is advised.
The BC Conservation Officer Service confirmed on Tuesday morning that the grizzly bear, which has been living on Texada Island for more than a month, has been found dead.
Conservation Officers located the dead grizzly bear in the Van Anda area on Texada Island and confirmed it is the tagged bear seen on the island in recent weeks and it was shot.
The bear will undergo a necropsy, the service confirmed.
Conservation service said it received a report from the RCMP on Monday afternoon that the bear, dubbed Tex, was shot and possibly wounded by a member of the public in the Van Anda area.
The Conservation Officer Service arrived on Texada Island on Monday to investigate.
Anyone with information is asked to call the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.
In a statement, the Grizzly Bear Foundation said it is “deeply saddened” to learn of Tex’s death.
Get daily National news
The organization said that every bear lost to human causes is a profound reminder of the need for change in how we coexist with nature.
“How could Tex’s death have been prevented? That’s the question we must ask—and answer,” Nicholas Scapillati, Executive Director of the Grizzly Bear Foundation, said in a statement.
“Tex’s death is a tragedy that we must learn from to build a better path forward for bears and communities.”
The foundation said this death underscores the critical importance of the program A New Approach – the Grizzly Bear Foundation’s new collaboration with the B.C. government.
Over the next few months an expert panel, First Nations, and stakeholder focus groups will help develop/inform recommendations for Provincial policy, procedures, and all aspects of how we work together to keep bears and communities safe.
“With the loss of this intelligent and curious and important young grizzly bear, we remain committed to creating real, lasting change in how we respond to human-bear interactions in B.C.,” Scapillati said.
In late June, First Nations came forward with a new proposal aimed at relocating the grizzly bear.
The pitch would see the bear moved to Bute Inlet, about 100 kilometres northwest of the island.“It’s a pretty remote area of the province.… There’s hardly any humans there, so the bear will have lots of room to roam,” Homalco First Nation Chief Darren Blaney told Global News at the time.
“We have busy bear tours up there as well, and we have a salmon-enhancement facility up there and it creates a lot of food for the bears.”
The B.C. government, however, resisted the idea, telling Global News that because the bear has already been moved twice, the chances of a successful third move are low and it is no longer a candidate for relocation.
Comments