Submitted by Sgt. Greg Kruger
The Columbia-Kootenay Zone Conservation Officer Service successfully captured and relocated a young adult grizzly bear.
This bear showed up on the Golden Golf Course Monday, May 10, and was comfortable foraging on the green grass and dandelions while golfers cautiously passed by. For public safety, the course closed all holes in the area the bear was present. Conservation Officer Service (CO’s) attempted to haze the bear away from the course, but it continued to come back. After consultation with the Regional Wildlife Biologist, the decision was made to trap it and conduct a short distance relocation to keep it within its home range but away from any public areas. This bear would not fully commit to entering the culvert trap, so after a couple of days of having to close the golf course, CO’s immobilized this bear as it grazed on a fairway on May 12. The healthy male grizzly was ear-tagged and relocated approximately 42 KM west of Golden up the Quartz Creek drainage.
The Columbia Valley has also had a few grizzly bear sightings so far this spring. For a short period during the week of May 11, a grizzly bear was observed near the Castlerock community road to the south end of Invermere along Walker Avenue and Stark Drive. The Conservation Officer Service, along with Invermere Bylaw Services and Wildsafe BC have been closely monitoring this bear’s activity and posted signs in the area to alert the public.
Up at Panorama Mountain Resort, a lone grizzly has taken a liking to the Greywolf Golf Course green fairways and has been fattening up on the fresh dandelions after a long winter sleep. Panorama Security keeps a close eye on this bear’s movement and has been warning anyone in this area of its presence. CO’s and Wildsafe BC will be working with Panorama Resort and the Greywolf Golf Course to ensure the public and this bear remain safe before the course opens over the May Long Weekend.
Livestock, garbage, and fruit trees are the primary attractants when grizzlies are reported. Bears that become highly food-conditioned and habituated to humans are often destroyed because of concerns for human safety. Early reporting of a bear in a neighbourhood helps us address the underlying issues before it becomes a conflict. When hiking, travel in groups of two or more and make noise to alert any animal of your presence so they can avoid you. Carry bear spray and know how to use it when you are in bear country.
Please contact the BC Conservation Officer Service Report All Poachers and Polluters Line at 1-877-952-7277 for human wildlife interactions where public safety may be at risk or suspected violations of environmental protection laws.
