The grizzly bear that’s been wandering Texada Island for more than a month has been found dead after being shot, says the B.C. Conservation Officer Service.
The service posted on social media on Tuesday that it has confirmed the bear is the tagged grizzly seen on the island in recent weeks. The animal, which was found in the Van Anda area on the north end of the island, is expected to undergo a necropsy.
Officers arrived on Texada on Monday in response to a report by the RCMP that the grizzly had been “shot and possibly wounded” by a member of the public.
The four-year-old bear was first spotted on Texada on May 25 after swimming over from the Powell River area.
The grizzly had been reported as following some residents and stalking livestock since its arrival on the 300-square-kilometre island, home to about 1,200 people, but there had been no reports of any injuries.
The province had said the grizzly was not a candidate for relocation after two previous attempts failed.
The bear was tagged and moved from Gibsons last fall, and was moved again from Sechelt.
It then showed up in Powell River, where it was getting into boats and stalking a couple on a picnic, who had to retreat to the water and remain there while the grizzly paced on shore for half an hour.
Three First Nations had asked the province for permission to move the grizzly into their territories.
John Powell, elected chief of Mamalilikulla First Nation, called the situation a “ticking time bomb” last month, saying it was inevitable the bear was going to run into a human or animal and “have a negative engagement.”
The Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship has said on average, relocation success rates are about 30% on the first attempt and generally decline on subsequent attempts.
“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.
Anyone with information on the alleged shooting of the bear on July 14 is asked to call the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.
