A family of grizzly bears successfully trapped and relocated outside of Nelson on Sunday have returned.
WildSafe BC confirmed that the sow and her two cubs have wandered back into the city, five days after they were successfully trapped and moved to a relocation site.
Location efforts are underway with all local officials and governments on board, but Wildsafe BC could not provide more details on the situation as of Friday afternoon.
Lisa Thomson, the community coordinator with WildSafe BC, told Vista Radio on Thursday that she had already received reports indicating the trio had been making their way down from their relocation spot.
Thomson said with every wildlife relocation efforts there’s a risk the animals will return, and that a biologist in Cranbrook was monitoring their travels.
“The sow has a radio collar and all three have ear tags. I am getting reports that they’re moving back down the mountain, but I haven’t been in contact with the biologist to confirm that.”
Grizzly bears are a conservation priority, which is why they usually are relocated rather than euthanized.
The province has guidelines that require wildlife relocations be within their home range.
Thomson said the three from Nelson were in a spot with plenty of natural food sources and appropriate places to den for the winter, although she didn’t disclose the exact location.
Thomson says some experts may say relocated bears need to be further outside their home range, a controversial idea because it would mean relocating them to a unfamiliar area without the regional food sources they’re used to.
A Facebook post from the city of Nelson first informed the community of the bears return, and asked residents to be on alert.
“Please note that the mama grizzly and her two yearlings, who were recently relocated out of the community, have returned. All officials and local governments are aware, and we are asking the community to report any sightings of these bears to the RAPP hotline,” said the post.
WildSafe BC said the first reports of the grizzlies nearing city limits came in at the beginning of August when they were spotted at Cottonwood Lake.
However, when reports started coming in from residents in Mountain Station and Bealby Point last week, conservation officers took additional measures and closed the rail trails and began efforts to locate and trap the family.
Thomson says it’s unusual to see grizzly bears migrate so close into the city.
Initially, they had hoped they would naturally move but when they didn’t, action was necessary to prevent dangerous encounters in the future.
“They’re back country bears, where black bears are more of a front country bear. That’s why we see more black bears in urban areas more,” she said
“The habitat around town is definitely not ideal or preferred by grizzlies, but when they do come to town it’s definitely cause for concern and requires monitoring of the situation. We always hope that they move on and are only passing through, but it wasn’t the case for this family.”
For all bears, autumn marks the start of hyperphagia which means a daily requirement of 20,000 calories is necessary to prepare for winter denning.
Thomson explained that the surplus of fruit trees and bear-accessible trash while they were in the hibernation prepping process is probably what encouraged them to stick around the area
“They can spend up to 23 hours a day just eating, and there is plenty of fruit trees and available garbage in Nelson, so I guess they were enjoying the fruit.”
WildSafe BC asked residents on Facebook to report sightings of the family to help the conservation team track and trap the grizzlies. The post had multiple comments insisting that relocating the family was unnecessary and harmful to their survival.
Thomson addressed some of the concerns and explained that reporting encounters is critical to both public safety and the safety of wildlife that would end up being euthanized if a harmful interaction was to occur.
“There’s a safety concern for both the public and the bears if there’s conflict. Whether that be them trying to break into houses or becoming defensive over food sources. There were reports of dogs chasing the bears which could escalate once the bear realizes ‘hang on a second, I’m an apex predator, why am I being chased by this dog that lives the luxury life?’”
When WildSafe became aware of the first sightings in the city, relocation efforts were inevitable to prevent the bears from getting too conditioned to the food sources located in the city, which usually does not end well for the animals, Thomson said
However, Thomson says they were already beginning to show signs of human-conditioned behavior.
“Their behavior was changing to be in line with human habituation. They just weren’t that fussed about us, whereas your grizzlies usually don’t want to be near us, they want to get away from us.
“With these three, they were unbothered with human interactions. With that there’s a risk that they wouldn’t be afraid of us trying to move them on using car horns, bashing pots together or yelling.”
The initial trapping process involved two different sites. Originally three traps were set up on the rail trail but an additional spot was added in town when the neighborhood sightings were reported.
Each trap was set up with deer meat inside to lure the bears. The two cubs were easily lured, but the sow didn’t take the bait.
Thomson said she remained at the trapping site with her cubs and was quite upset before she too was eventually trapped and removed from the area, before returning under a week later.
During the fall, both black bears and grizzlies are attracted to the abundance of fruit trees and trash in Nelson.
With the return of the grizzlies and it being bear hyperphagia season, WildSafe and the City of Nelson remind residents that it’s crucial to ensure all fallen fruit and nuts from trees are harvested, that bird feeders and other attractants are removed and to ensure outdoor trash bins are secured.
Members of the public are asked to report any new sightings of the sow and her cubs to the RAPP hotline at 1(877)-952-7277 or on their website.
More updates to come.