A third grizzly bear from a famous family of four bears in the West Kootenay region has been put down. The mother bear and her three yearlings were frequently spotted in Nelson, where they were seen going through neighborhoods and scavenging for food. Wildlife authorities deemed them a threat as they had become accustomed to human presence.
Earlier this month, the mother bear, previously relocated from Nelson and returned, was euthanized along with one of the yearlings. The Conservation Officer Service of British Columbia stated that the yearling was not suitable for relocation due to its young age and health issues, as it had a noticeable limp possibly from an injury or deformity.
The other two yearlings, a male and a female, were relocated but later reappeared in Christina Lake. The female has moved away since, but the male continued to frequent residential areas and was determined unsuitable for a second relocation attempt. As a result, the male yearling was euthanized following provincial guidelines for human-wildlife conflict response.
Garth Mowat, a provincial wildlife biologist, mentioned that the bears had become overly accustomed to humans and had been feeding on human food for years. The initial relocation was an attempt to encourage the bears to return to their natural diet. Andrew Milne from the Conservation Officer Service emphasized that euthanizing bears is a last resort decision and is not taken lightly.
Mowat highlighted that due to drought conditions in the B.C. Interior, there is a scarcity of berry crops, leading more bears to seek food in communities. Officials are advising residents to eliminate any potential food sources like fruit trees, garbage, and bird feeders to reduce the chances of human-bear conflicts.