The PR nonsense put out by the Conservation Officer Service

Update on Nelson Grizzly Bears: 

Conservation officers dispatched a sow grizzly bear in Nelson today to ensure public safety. Two yearlings associated with the sow were captured and released at an undisclosed location where they can continue to be monitored.

Over the past several weeks, the BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) and the BC Wildlife Branch received multiple reports of grizzly bears frequenting the Nelson area. 

The sow exhibited food-conditioned behaviour and a significant loss of fear of people, including repeatedly accessing residential properties and non-natural food sources such as fruit trees and barbecues, and regularly remaining in close proximity to people.

The BCCOS and the BC Wildlife Branch have monitored this sow and her offspring for several years and has worked proactively with the community to reduce human-wildlife conflicts through attractant management. In 2023, the sow and a previous set of offspring were relocated in an effort to keep wildlife wild and reduce public safety risks.

Given the bear's extensive food-conditioning and increasing comfort in residential areas, a second relocation was not considered a viable management option by the BC Wildlife Branch . An injured bear associated with this group was also dispatched under the recommendation of the BC Wildlife Vet.

We recognize this news will be upsetting for many people. The dispatching of any bear is an outcome that conservation officers, wildlife biologists, community partners, and residents work hard to prevent, and these decisions are never made lightly.

Wildlife response decisions were made in consultation with wildlife biologists from the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.

Human-wildlife conflict is a shared responsibility of the government, residents and our visitors. Across British Columbia, unsecured attractants remain a primary driver of bear conflicts and the subsequent dispatch of bears. Securing attractants such as garbage, fruit and other food sources is the most effective way to help keep both people and bears safe.

For information on preventing human-wildlife conflicts, visit WildSafeBC. For information on how conservation officers respond to human-wildlife conflicts, please see the Province's wildlife conflict management policies.