Mamalilikulla First Nation’s elected chief says moving the bear to Knight Inlet would save it from ‘certain death’
A First Nation chief is asking the province to save a grizzly bear on Texada Island from “certain death” by moving the bruin to a remote location in Knight Inlet.
“Right now this grizzly bear is a ticking time bomb,” said John Powell, elected chief of Mamalilikulla First Nation.
“I think inevitably the bear is going to run into a human or animal and it’s going to have a negative engagement. Texada is not a big place.”
The four-year-old male grizzly has been on Texada for nearly a month after swimming to the island from the Powell River area. There are concerns the animal will eventually come into serious conflict with humans or livestock on the 300-square-kilometre island, home to about 1,200 residents. It has already been reported as following a resident with a horse and dog, and there have been sightings near farms, a store and a school.
The province, however, remains firm on its stance that the grizzly is not a candidate for relocation after two previous attempts failed.
The bear was tagged and moved from Gibsons last fall, and moved again from Sechelt.
It then showed up in Powell River, where it was getting into boats and stalked a couple on a picnic, who had to retreat to the water and remain while the grizzly paced on shore for a half an hour
Powell said he knows there is support on Texada to privately fund a relocation. His First Nation would welcome the grizzly, he said. The nation’s traditional territories span the North Island and extend into Knight Inlet on the mainland coast west of the Broughton Archipelago.
He said younger bears are often forced out of their territories by older bears. Knight Inlet, home to few humans, already has grizzlies, including a younger female grizzly being monitored by Mamalilikulla Guardians, he said.
The female grizzly, also age four, was cut loose recently by her mother and could make a good mate for the male on Texada, said Powell. “Right now the bear is being a bear … it is looking for its place in the world,” said Powell. “I just don’t see how that bear’s going to live freely on that island when there are so many people and animals.”
Powell said it’s unlikely the bear will eventually swim away from Texada to search for a mate or find a place to hibernate as the province hopes will happen.
“I don’t think anyone believes that bear is going to live there until it leaves,” he said. “It’s going to die there and that’s unfortunate.”
Powell said he’s unsure how a relocation would unfold, but tranquilizing the grizzly and flying it out would be the best option, especially if there are people on Texada who have agreed to cover the cost.
“My guess, though, is the government does not want to set precedents for next bears.”
The Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship said any relocation would require approval from the province, and it’s not simply a question of finances or staff availability.
“The first step is determining if the bear is a candidate for relocation based on all the facts at hand,” said a statement from the ministry. “In this case, it would not be in the interests of public safety to relocate the bear a third time, regardless of who undertook the physical work.”
The ministry said on average, relocation success rates are about 30% on the first attempt and generally decline on subsequent attempts, the statement said.
“Bears that are aggressive toward people, considered dangerous to the public or are human-food conditioned are not candidates for relocation, due to the risk to public safety,” the ministry said.
“These are difficult decisions, but people’s safety is always the top priority. It is our hope that it will not come to this, and the bear will move on independently.”
The Conservation Officer Service said adult bears will not be moved outside their home ranges, and bears will only be relocated short distances where there is no possibility of food conditioning and no indication of aggressiveness.
Powell said grizzlies have a spiritual and cultural connection for the Mamalilikulla First Nation, which has its traditional home at Village Island, offices in Campbell River and about 400 members.
“We have stories about grizzlies, masks of them. At one time, the grizzly played the part of policeman in our big houses,” said Powell. “All the creatures from land, sea and sky are considered our siblings and it’s our responsibility to take care of them.
“This bear isn’t in our territory, but we’d like it to be.”
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