B.C. First Nation criticized for killing of twin grizzly bears in their territory

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service confirmed it has been successful interaction with a B.C. First Nation aft 2 grizzly bears were killed successful their territory.

The Lil’wat Nation, adjacent Mount Currie, northbound of Whistler, shared that connected Nov. 4, duplicate grizzly bears that had been spotted successful the assemblage earlier had been killed owed to information concerns.

After posting astir the incidental connected Facebook, galore radical person criticized the Nation, saying determination could person been different resolution. The First Nation did not instrumentality Global News’ email oregon telephone call.

The Conservation Service said the incidental occurred connected Lil’wat Nation reserve lands. Officers are moving to recognize the circumstances that led to the bears’ deaths, the enactment said.

According to Skalúlmecw Chief Dean Nelson, the bears were calved successful February 2023 successful the Upper Lillooet River Basin.

By September 2023, the duplicate bears and their parent were well-known successful the community, but the Nation began to perceive they were being harassed by a circuit company, which they past unopen down.

The parent was nary longer seen aft June 2024 and the Lil’wat Nation said it notified the Conservation Officer Service and the Coast to Cascades-Grizzly Bear Initiative to debar immoderate imaginable human-bear conflicts and to thatch the bears to debar immoderate human-specific areas.

“We discussed assorted strategies, including aversive conditioning, hazing and relocation,” the Nation said successful a statement.

“Coast to Cascades did not urge relocating the animals, based connected a fig of factors that would hazard the bears safety. Relocating yearling cubs during the hyperphagias signifier could airs risking them not knowing wherever to find capable nutrient to prolong them for wintertime hibernation, relocating into different bear’s territory could effect successful being mauled by different bear, and precise often relocated bears negociate to instrumentality to the archetypal determination aft being relocated.”

Wildlife usher Ellie Lamb said the young bears were apt sticking astir due to the fact that that is simply a spot their ma taught them was safe.

“They find nutrient successful those areas, earthy and unnatural,” she said.

“They besides volition beryllium learning what the rules are, which I know, determination is immoderate bully radical trying to thatch them wherever they tin spell and not go. And bears are precise good. They didn’t walk thousands of years evolving and not being capable to learn. Of course, they tin larn places that are comfy and not comfortable, truthful they’re consenting to travel rather nicely boundaries that we set.”

Lamb said grizzly carnivore cubs thin to enactment with their mothers for up to three-and-a-half years, truthful the young bears apt did not cognize however to fend for themselves fully.

Coast to Cascades decided to proceed with a hazing strategy for the bears, utilizing deterrents to determination the bears retired of an country oregon discourage undesirable behaviour.

The bears continued to beryllium seen successful the assemblage with galore radical posting updates connected societal media.

On Oct. 30, the Nation received a study that the bears had gotten into a workplace and eaten chickens, ducks and guinea fowl.

“In addition, it was confirmed that their bears scat contained household garbage,” the Nation said.

“These facts accrued the likelihood that bears would not instrumentality to their archetypal habitat.”

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The Nation said that connected Nov. 2 the bears were changeable and killed by a subordinate during a “close encounter.

“Despite shouting, banging pots together, and dogs barking, the bears’ behaviour remained unafraid. The assemblage subordinate repeatedly requested assistance with this concern, including from the Conservation Office. Líl̓wat Nation reached retired to Conservation again requesting that they instrumentality action. (Neither the Nation nor Coast to Cascades is authorized to initiate enactment during these types of adjacent encounters with bears.),” according to the statement.

The Conservation Officer Service had antecedently recommended sidesplitting the antheral carnivore and relocating the pistillate carnivore with a collar, according to the Nation, but some bears were yet killed.

However, successful a statement, the Conservation Officer Service said portion they were contiguous astatine that meeting, they did not marque immoderate statements recommending the demolition oregon relocation of the grizzly bears.

The Nation released a connection connected Facebook connected Nov. 4, letting the nationalist cognize that the bears had been killed, a ceremonial wherever a baccy offering was made had been held, and that the animals had been buried.

Lamb said bears bash not travel into communities to look for problems.

“They travel into communities due to the fact that they’re looking for a harmless spot and wherever determination is nary problems,” she said.

“And what they’re trying to debar are the bigger, much ascendant bears connected the extracurricular of the assemblage oregon wolves oregon floods oregon fires.”

Lamb said patience is cardinal erstwhile trying to coexist with bears.

“As overmuch arsenic it is simply a privilege to person them around, it besides is thing that they person their ain lives and they volition leave,” she added.

The First Nation said it is moving connected uncovering a mode to determination forward.

“The Líl̓wat Nation hopes to proceed to enactment unneurotic with Coast to Cascade,” Nelson said.

“It’s powerfully recommended that assemblage members larn much astir the programs Coast to Cascade has successful spot that tin assistance region attractants from yards and larn much astir uncovering ways to coexist with our carnivore kin. We each person a work to recreating a equilibrium successful our narration to the bears of our area.”